GENESIS 3:1-10 – Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?” And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden, but God said, ‘You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.’ ” But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate. Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked. And they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths. And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. But the Lord God called to the man and said to him, “Where are you?” And he said, “I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked, and I hid myself.”

THEME OF THE DAY:  A DEVASTATING RESULT FROM THE GARDEN OF EDEN.  We know the disobedience of our first parents led to catastrophic results.  First, our relationship with God was severed spiritually, not in the relationship of accountability between Creator and creature, but in a harmonious and enjoyable manner. Misery now marks our existence. Next, death was ushered into the human experience and its associated pain, grief, and sorrow.  A third thing happened.  The ability to find purpose, satisfaction, contentment and fulfillment in life was forfeited.  All those are found in God alone.  The famous quote of Augustine is so true, “The heart of man was created for God and that it cannot find rest until it rests in his Heavenly Father.” I cannot stress this enough because many Christians attempt to find purpose, satisfaction, contentment and fulfillment in life in the things of the world, human relationships in the world, and only to find that pursuit foolish and futile. And this is captured by one of the first acts Adam did after sin wrecked his life – But the Lord God called to the man and said to him, “Where are you?” And he said, “I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked, and I hid myself (Genesis 3:10). He tried to hide from God, the only One who could make him whole and satisfy his deepest needs and longings. This is a devastating result from the Garden of Eden; hiding from God and separated from the One who alone gives what we crave – purpose, satisfaction, contentment and fulfillment in life.

Friends, there are two things we need to do to ensure we don’t go down a fool’s travel of seeking in the world what is found in God alone. First, read the Old Testament book of Ecclesiastes.  Soon. In one sitting.  This is the book to give us proper perspective in life.  The next to do is ponder these wise words from Pascal.  He profoundly pointed out the greatness and miserableness of man. He yearns for rest and throws himself from one diversion upon another. He forsakes the fountain of living waters and hews out broken cisterns that can hold no water (Jeremiah 2:13).  He is a hungry man who dreams that he is eating, and when He awakes finds that his soul is empty.  He is like a thirsty man who dreams that he is drinking, and when he awakes finds that he is faint and that his soul has appetite (Isaiah 29:8).  And that is because of the Garden of Eden, and man’s emptiness is only solved by the Gospel!

PRAYER: “Father, may I learn true contentment and satisfaction is only in You, not in the world or things of the world.”

QUOTE: “To seek to find what is in God alone is a path to futility, discouragement, and a waste of time, energy, and money.”

In the affection of Christ Jesus,

Pastor Jim