Genesis 3:10, Hiding from God

“I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid.”

If we have a proper relationship with God we don’t need to be told we’ve sinned. God’s Spirit within us lets us know. Of course, sin makes us feel vulnerable so we tend to withdraw from those we’ve sinned against.

Naturally, God…

Probably our family…

Maybe our friends…

I find two interesting things here. First, God will always track us down in an attempt to set the relationship right. That should be a source of comfort. It’s not always true of family and friends.

Second…since God is so dependable with this, why do so many Christians feel they need to be the “voice of God” for others?

Let’s let God do His own work…

Live boldly out there today…

Genesis 3:1, The Serpent

Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?”

If a stranger shows up unannounced and tries to move into the guest bedroom we don’t engage in epistemological discussion. When he tries to assert his right to be there we aren’t confused…we know the truth. He’s an interloper so we tell him to leave…or we call 911.

Unless, or course, we find something appealing in the stranger…

“Did God really say?”

We’ve been deceived by two big lies and we pay dearly.

The first big lie from Satan was his insinuation into Eve’s relationship with God. What was intended to be a sacred and intimate communion between two became a party of three. Eve seems to have taken the intrusion in stride. Eve’s response should have been “who are you?”

That was her first mistake…

The second big lie from Satan was that he factually misrepresented God. Since Eve knew exactly what God had said she recognized the error. Eve seemed willing to continue a dialogue with somebody who showed no regard for the truth. Eve’s response should have been “Why are you mischaracterizing God?”

That was her second mistake…

I respect the fact that Adam and Eve had no experience with “craftiness“. For them every situation was “a priori”. In their naiveté they misunderstood Satan. They thought Satan was asking honest questions…to which they wanted to offer honest answers. In the end, “craftiness” defeated “innocence”.

We know better. The next time we hear the question “did God really say…?” we know it didn’t originate with God…it came from an interloper. The correct response should be “That’s none of your business”.

Live boldly out there today…

Genesis 2:22, Eve

“Then the LORD God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man.”

When Adam first met Eve, how old did he think she was? Eighteen? Twenty one? Probably not thirty minutes old. Yet, when he woke up from his nap, there stood his wife.

Whether we view the creation as fact or metaphor, we struggle with the same difficulties: How do we integrate incomprehensible truth into our lives?

It begins with wondering how old the earth is…and insisting the rocks are billions of years old. It ends with refusing to believe in God. The irony is stunning. The created mind ends up denying the mind that created it. Like me drawing a paycheck from the Veteran’s Administration while claiming there is no Veteran’s Administration.

If I were God I’d be offended…

And, the logic is as amusing as it is tragic. Adam thought Eve was twenty one, or so. If Eve would have said “no, Adam, I’m thirty minutes old“. Adam might have said “really?” But…what, on earth, would have inclined Adam to say “Well then, there is no God! “?

I would never let my philosophy students get away with it…

I wonder what it takes for our created minds to ponder the creator mind and simply rest in confused awe.

Live boldly out there today…

Genesis 2:8, The Garden

“Now the Lord planted a garden…”

God provided the environment that allows us, as humans, to thrive. He also established the boundaries…and the rules. Man has spent the rest of human history attempting to remodel the environment, change the boundaries and rewrite the rules.

It all began with a decision…Do I pick the fruit from that tree or not?

I suggest we have some compassion for Adam and Eve. They were faced with a choice but had no comprehension of consequences…no context or experience. We see death and destruction all around us and we still insist on eating from that same tree.

Of course, we all know the definition of insanity…

It seems to me that if we ever hope to experience the life God created us to enjoy, we need to get back to the garden.

Live boldly out there today…

Genesis 2:3, The Sabbath

And God blessed the seventh day and made it holy…

What happens when we step into holiness?

Jesus was criticized for allowing his disciples to pick grain on the Sabbath. I guess the Pharisees felt like stepping into holiness meant we change our behavior. But, Jesus said, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath” (Mark 2:27). Sabbath doesn’t “demand something” from us. Sabbath “gives something” to us.

Ever wonder what that “something” might be?

Now, I’m confronted with this holiness every seventh day. What should I be doing with it? How about “soaking it up“? “Basking in it“? How about immersing ourselves in this holiness until we are saturated with it?

Oh no…we’re too busy “doing the right things” to ever let the holiness of the situation influence us.

When we jump into the pool…we get wet. When we step into holiness, what happens?

Live boldly out there today…

Genesis 1:26, Creation

“Then God said, Let us make man in our image…”

The plural is interesting. Without the rest of scripture we might not recognize the Trinity. Yet, It was true before it was explained t0 us. The one God was always three.

The theological application is things can be true even if we don’t understand or believe them to be true.

The practical application is that we have been created with the same essence. We are Body (Son), Soul (Father) and Spirit (Holy Spirit). We are amazing!

And…very very special. We should live that way.

Live boldly out there today…

Genesis 1:1, In the Beginning

Genesis 1:1 says “In the beginning God…”

And seven times in the next 30 verses we are told “and God said…”

God was around saying and doing a lot of things long before we came to mind. Why does the world find this so hard to accept? Probably because it reminds us where we line up on the food chain.

Then, “God saw all that he had made, and it was very good”.

Really? Without our help?

Live boldly out there today…