August 5-Great Chapters of the Bible
Write out the Scripture.
Genesis 3:1, The serpent was the shrewdest of all the wild animals the Lord God had made. One day he asked the woman, “Did God really say you must not eat the fruit from any of the trees in the garden?”
Observe what it is saying.
If we consider what happens to humanity in Genesis 3, we may not consider it a great chapter. However, it is listed because of its explanation of how the enemy works and why we are in the mess we are. The serpent was created shrewd but not evil. However, in creation’s gift of free will, God allowed His creatures to choose between what is good and evil. The serpent chose against God’s goodness and enlisted the highest form of creation to join him. He did so by planting a seed of doubt. “Did God really say…?” We discover one of the tactics of the enemy is to cause us to question God’s word which is nothing less than His authority. When we no longer trust God’s word to be truth, then we are on our descent into all manner of chaos.
Relate it to your life.
When I doubt God’s word, I am declaring I don’t trust Him to have the corner on truth.
Do something.
“Father, forgive me when I question Your word. Give me such faith to believe and trust You at every word You speak. Amen.”
August 6-Great Chapters of the Bible
Write out the Scripture.
Genesis 3:2-3, “Of course we may eat fruit from the trees in the garden,” the woman replied.3 “It’s only the fruit from the tree in the middle of the garden that we are not allowed to eat. God said, ‘You must not eat it or even touch it; if you do, you will die.’”
Observe what it is saying.
Eve easily caught the serpent in his attempt to question what God had said. The message had been given to Adam and passed along to Eve. The additional comment, “even touch it” was not what Scripture records God telling Adam. Here’s the original statement, “But the Lord God warned him, “You may freely eat the fruit of every tree in the garden— except the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. If you eat its fruit, you are sure to die.” (Gen. 2:16-17) So, Eve had the core message, though she added to it or Adam had added the “no touch” when he conveyed the message to her. The addition seems harmless here, but it’s important to know what God has spoken and not subtract or add anything to it. Revelation 22:18-19 gives a clear warning about doing either.
Relate it to your life.
God’s word is sufficient and does not need our embellishment.
Do something.
“Father, Your word is true as it is. May I speak and keep it as You intended. Amen.”
August 7-Great Chapters of the Bible
Write out the Scripture.
Genesis 3:4-5, “You won’t die!” the serpent replied to the woman. 5 “God knows that your eyes will be opened as soon as you eat it, and you will be like God, knowing both good and evil.”
Observe what it is saying.
The serpent found the first approach did not work so he blatantly lied. God had clearly said if you eat the fruit of this tree, you will die. The enemy’s temptation highlighted only the benefits of eating the fruit. You will see what God sees. You will know good and evil. You will be like God. Temptation always portrays what appears to be the bright side of the action but never discloses the dark side of going against God. The enemy appealed to Eve’s pride. Pride can be used for good like feeling satisfaction for a job well done or pride can be used for evil that promotes oneself. The enemy attempted to tap into pride’s dark side by elevating Eve to the status of God in her own eyes.
Relate it to your life.
Temptation highlights the attraction but covers up the destruction.
Do something.
“Father, when I’m tempted, help me to be wise enough to see through the false appeal and give me strength to resist the power that it holds over me. Amen.”
August 8-Great Chapters of the Bible
Write out the Scripture.
Genesis 3:6-7, The woman was convinced. She saw that the tree was beautiful and its fruit looked delicious, and she wanted the wisdom it would give her. So she took some of the fruit and ate it. Then she gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it, too. 7 At that moment their eyes were opened, and they suddenly felt shame at their nakedness. So they sewed fig leaves together to cover themselves.
Observe what it is saying.
The serpent’s second round of deceit was convincing enough to get Eve to see the attractiveness of the tree and its fruit. She wanted what the serpent promised it would offer her: wisdom. In other words, she wanted to be like God. The desire overwhelmed her, and she ate. We discover that Adam was with her, and he joined in on this terrible act. Did he hear the whole conversation between Eve and the serpent? If so, why did he not speak up? He had heard firsthand from God about not eating this fruit. He could have intervened. He should have intervened. Instead, he simply went along. How often do we mindlessly go along with what others are doing, not thinking through the consequences? They quickly discovered the cost of their sin. They were filled with the horrible feeling of shame and tried to cover it up.
Relate it to your life.
We need people in our lives who will speak truth into our lives, even if it hurts to hear it.
Do something.
“Father, surround me with truth-telling people and give me the desire to listen to their counsel. Amen.”
August 9-Great Chapters of the Bible
Write out the Scripture.
Genesis 3:8-9, When the cool evening breezes were blowing, the man and his wife heard the Lord God walking about in the garden. So they hid from the Lord God among the trees. 9 Then the Lord God called to the man, “Where are you?”
Observe what it is saying.
What a beautiful description of life in the beginning. God walked among them! God was present with His creation. When everything is restored in the final resurrection and creation of the new heaven and earth, we are promised that God will be at the center of our new garden home. (Revelation 21:3) It will be as it was in the beginning. However, in the first garden, Adam and Eve acted differently from previous encounters with God. They were hiding. Sin does that. We hide from others. We foolishly think we can hide from God. We attempt to hide our guilt and shame by covering over our sin with the fig leaves of our choice. When we do so, God asks where we are. What happened to us? What changed? The question is spiritual in nature causing us to question where we stand in our relationship with God.
Relate it to your life.
Sin has many horrible consequences of guilt and shame that damage our soul’s wellbeing.
Do something.
“Father, help me to come clean when I sin, so I know where I am with You. Amen.”
August 10-Great Chapters of the Bible
Write out the Scripture.
Genesis 3:10, He replied, “I heard you walking in the garden, so I hid. I was afraid because I was naked.”
Observe what it is saying.
This was the first time that Adam hid from God. The difference was he had disobeyed God’s command, and he saw himself differently. What had not been an issue was now a huge problem. The beauty and purity of God’s creation was now a problem. He was seeing himself through the eyes of guilt and shame. He saw himself differently. He literally saw his body differently. One more thing. He said he was afraid. Fear entered in when he deliberately chose to go against God’s holy order. This basic emotion is rooted in our brokenness as human beings. We were not created to fear. Fear is a basic underlying emotion that results from the most basic act of denying God’s truth. When Adam and Eve made the turn away from God, they found out they also turned on themselves. They let a flood of new experiences and emotions into their lives, as well as, the human race.
Relate it to your life.
When I hide out of fear from God, I need to look within to see how I’ve broken myself against God’s truth.
Do something.
“Father, make me whole again through the redeeming grace of Jesus. Amen.”
Write out the Scripture.
Genesis 3:1, The serpent was the shrewdest of all the wild animals the Lord God had made. One day he asked the woman, “Did God really say you must not eat the fruit from any of the trees in the garden?”
Observe what it is saying.
If we consider what happens to humanity in Genesis 3, we may not consider it a great chapter. However, it is listed because of its explanation of how the enemy works and why we are in the mess we are. The serpent was created shrewd but not evil. However, in creation’s gift of free will, God allowed His creatures to choose between what is good and evil. The serpent chose against God’s goodness and enlisted the highest form of creation to join him. He did so by planting a seed of doubt. “Did God really say…?” We discover one of the tactics of the enemy is to cause us to question God’s word which is nothing less than His authority. When we no longer trust God’s word to be truth, then we are on our descent into all manner of chaos.
Relate it to your life.
When I doubt God’s word, I am declaring I don’t trust Him to have the corner on truth.
Do something.
“Father, forgive me when I question Your word. Give me such faith to believe and trust You at every word You speak. Amen.”
August 6-Great Chapters of the Bible
Write out the Scripture.
Genesis 3:2-3, “Of course we may eat fruit from the trees in the garden,” the woman replied.3 “It’s only the fruit from the tree in the middle of the garden that we are not allowed to eat. God said, ‘You must not eat it or even touch it; if you do, you will die.’”
Observe what it is saying.
Eve easily caught the serpent in his attempt to question what God had said. The message had been given to Adam and passed along to Eve. The additional comment, “even touch it” was not what Scripture records God telling Adam. Here’s the original statement, “But the Lord God warned him, “You may freely eat the fruit of every tree in the garden— except the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. If you eat its fruit, you are sure to die.” (Gen. 2:16-17) So, Eve had the core message, though she added to it or Adam had added the “no touch” when he conveyed the message to her. The addition seems harmless here, but it’s important to know what God has spoken and not subtract or add anything to it. Revelation 22:18-19 gives a clear warning about doing either.
Relate it to your life.
God’s word is sufficient and does not need our embellishment.
Do something.
“Father, Your word is true as it is. May I speak and keep it as You intended. Amen.”
August 7-Great Chapters of the Bible
Write out the Scripture.
Genesis 3:4-5, “You won’t die!” the serpent replied to the woman. 5 “God knows that your eyes will be opened as soon as you eat it, and you will be like God, knowing both good and evil.”
Observe what it is saying.
The serpent found the first approach did not work so he blatantly lied. God had clearly said if you eat the fruit of this tree, you will die. The enemy’s temptation highlighted only the benefits of eating the fruit. You will see what God sees. You will know good and evil. You will be like God. Temptation always portrays what appears to be the bright side of the action but never discloses the dark side of going against God. The enemy appealed to Eve’s pride. Pride can be used for good like feeling satisfaction for a job well done or pride can be used for evil that promotes oneself. The enemy attempted to tap into pride’s dark side by elevating Eve to the status of God in her own eyes.
Relate it to your life.
Temptation highlights the attraction but covers up the destruction.
Do something.
“Father, when I’m tempted, help me to be wise enough to see through the false appeal and give me strength to resist the power that it holds over me. Amen.”
August 8-Great Chapters of the Bible
Write out the Scripture.
Genesis 3:6-7, The woman was convinced. She saw that the tree was beautiful and its fruit looked delicious, and she wanted the wisdom it would give her. So she took some of the fruit and ate it. Then she gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it, too. 7 At that moment their eyes were opened, and they suddenly felt shame at their nakedness. So they sewed fig leaves together to cover themselves.
Observe what it is saying.
The serpent’s second round of deceit was convincing enough to get Eve to see the attractiveness of the tree and its fruit. She wanted what the serpent promised it would offer her: wisdom. In other words, she wanted to be like God. The desire overwhelmed her, and she ate. We discover that Adam was with her, and he joined in on this terrible act. Did he hear the whole conversation between Eve and the serpent? If so, why did he not speak up? He had heard firsthand from God about not eating this fruit. He could have intervened. He should have intervened. Instead, he simply went along. How often do we mindlessly go along with what others are doing, not thinking through the consequences? They quickly discovered the cost of their sin. They were filled with the horrible feeling of shame and tried to cover it up.
Relate it to your life.
We need people in our lives who will speak truth into our lives, even if it hurts to hear it.
Do something.
“Father, surround me with truth-telling people and give me the desire to listen to their counsel. Amen.”
August 9-Great Chapters of the Bible
Write out the Scripture.
Genesis 3:8-9, When the cool evening breezes were blowing, the man and his wife heard the Lord God walking about in the garden. So they hid from the Lord God among the trees. 9 Then the Lord God called to the man, “Where are you?”
Observe what it is saying.
What a beautiful description of life in the beginning. God walked among them! God was present with His creation. When everything is restored in the final resurrection and creation of the new heaven and earth, we are promised that God will be at the center of our new garden home. (Revelation 21:3) It will be as it was in the beginning. However, in the first garden, Adam and Eve acted differently from previous encounters with God. They were hiding. Sin does that. We hide from others. We foolishly think we can hide from God. We attempt to hide our guilt and shame by covering over our sin with the fig leaves of our choice. When we do so, God asks where we are. What happened to us? What changed? The question is spiritual in nature causing us to question where we stand in our relationship with God.
Relate it to your life.
Sin has many horrible consequences of guilt and shame that damage our soul’s wellbeing.
Do something.
“Father, help me to come clean when I sin, so I know where I am with You. Amen.”
August 10-Great Chapters of the Bible
Write out the Scripture.
Genesis 3:10, He replied, “I heard you walking in the garden, so I hid. I was afraid because I was naked.”
Observe what it is saying.
This was the first time that Adam hid from God. The difference was he had disobeyed God’s command, and he saw himself differently. What had not been an issue was now a huge problem. The beauty and purity of God’s creation was now a problem. He was seeing himself through the eyes of guilt and shame. He saw himself differently. He literally saw his body differently. One more thing. He said he was afraid. Fear entered in when he deliberately chose to go against God’s holy order. This basic emotion is rooted in our brokenness as human beings. We were not created to fear. Fear is a basic underlying emotion that results from the most basic act of denying God’s truth. When Adam and Eve made the turn away from God, they found out they also turned on themselves. They let a flood of new experiences and emotions into their lives, as well as, the human race.
Relate it to your life.
When I hide out of fear from God, I need to look within to see how I’ve broken myself against God’s truth.
Do something.
“Father, make me whole again through the redeeming grace of Jesus. Amen.”
Posted in Daily Devotionals