Welcome!
Passage: Gen 2 (NIV)
Today: When God visits us (back to basics-2)
15 The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. 16 And the Lord God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; 17 but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die.” 18 The Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.” 19 Now the Lord God had formed out of the ground all the beasts of the field and all the birds of the air. He brought them to the man to see what he would name them; and whatever the man called each living creature, that was its name. 20 So the man gave names to all the livestock, the birds of the air and all the beasts of the field. (Gen 2, NIV 84)-emphasis added
God put man in such a high position that he was just a little below God
God loved man so much that He gave him the best of the best. He cared for man’s spirit, soul and body. A beautiful garden with all kinds of fruits and vegetables where he has enough to eat; and then, as God found that he was alone, God made the woman. His loneliness was gone! Only one thing that God told him “negative”, was to not eat from the tree of knowledge of good and evil
God also gave man authority over every other creation. God wanted man to name each and every animal. Till this day, we are doing it; man has named every plant and animal species
God only named the stars up there; God calls each star by name
God wanted man to work in the garden and take care of it. Work is not a curse; duty is a privilege God has given man. God likes people who take responsibility
It was the part of the greatness/character of God that He delegates authority. Those who does not delegate authority but does everything by themselves, will find it too hard!
In the New Testament, we see Paul asking Timothy to find faithful people and entrust responsibility to them. We also see Jesus giving power and authority to His disciples and sending them out. There is authority when we have the word of God with us; and power, from the Holy Spirit. Jesus gave His disciples authority to be “fishers of men”, which we don’t see in the O.T!
But it seems that we are happy to use all our God-given rights, except being “Fishers of men”
During summer, we see lot of people going fishing, but not that many fishers of men!
After doing everything for man and putting them in charge of the garden, God used to visit Adam and Eve regularly; but one day, God visited them, only to find them hiding. They were caught-up in sin!
When God comes, how will He find us? He put us in a garden called church, with a responsibility
21 For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like a mortal human being and birds and animals and reptiles.
26 Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural sexual relations for unnatural ones. 27 In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed shameful acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their error. (Rom 1, NIV)-emphasis added
Sin starts when we fail to thank and praise God!
Let us commit to a life that pleases God!
Have a blessed day!
BG
Prayer: Father God, thank you for all that you have given me. You gave us the best-physically, emotionally and spiritually. You gave us JESUS, which is the best of the best, of all you have. Forgive our sins Lord. In Jesus’ precious name; Amen
If we don’t give God the glory, we will give it to man!