Key Scripture:
“You listened to your wife and ate the fruit which I told you not to eat. Because of what you have done, the ground will be under a curse. You will have to work hard all your life to make it produce enough food for you. It will produce weeds and thorns, and you will have to eat wild plants. You will have to work hard and sweat to make the soil produce anything, until you go back to the soil from which you were formed. You were made from soil, and you will become soil again.”
Genesis 3:17-19.
Devotional
Human beings are good at finding excuses, thinking this will make them innocent. Adam told God it was his wife that made him sin. Eve said it was the snake. None of these excuses helped them. It was all disobedience. To Adam it was a great shame. He had received instructions directly from God. Listening to his wife and disobeying God was another form of idolatry, the same kind that still enslaves many people today. To Adam the obstacle was brought by his wife. To someone else obstacles could spring from their husband, boss, close friends, parents or anyone else they treasure so much.
The ground was cursed because of man and this meant the beginning of fruitless labor. Man started toiling to provide for himself and family instead of being established in God’s immeasurable blessings.
The snake convinced Adam and Eve that God was a liar and that they would not die as He had said. This was the voice of Satan and it’s still active in people’s ears today. Adam and Eve believed a lie and rebelled against the Truth.
Satan the Thief
Satan is a thief. He comes only in order to steal, kill and destroy.[1] He’s both a spiritual and physical thief. Satan is also a liar. He sustains his kingdom by lies. He went to Eve in the Garden of Eden and deceived her. He pretended to be a friend who would help Eve to know what she didn’t know. Yet his mission was not to help but to destroy the people God had created. Eve had already adopted Satan’s tradition of disobedience. She disobeyed God for the sake of her own gratification. Satan stole the truth from her and planted a new seed of corruption that would affect the human race from generation to generation. People became so wicked that God could not keep them anymore. He destroyed all of them in a flood and saved Noah and his family, along with two of every living creature. Unlike everyone else, Noah remained faithful to God through such a trying time. God was pleased with Noah and that’s why he saved him and his family.
Questions for Reflection
- Where have you found yourself compromising your walk of obedience as a result of negative influence from a friend or relative?
- Which earthly struggles make you think God doesn’t care anymore and you feel left alone about them?
- In your view, how different is our time compared to the days of Noah before the flood. Would you stand faithful to the end no matter the influence around you?
Action Step
This week, purpose to be intentional in your life. Think of yourself as a leader with ability to make decisions. Pray for strength and Godly guidance. You need God on your side to effectively overcome fear and negative influence around you. Spot areas where negative influence comes from. Pray for God to change the situation.
Find a good spot and think about God’s care for you, your family and work. Thank Him for His goodness to you and your family. Pray for strength to stay faithful to the end no matter the influence around you.
Prayer Prompt
Dear Lord, please give me strength to overcome fear and negative influence around me. Thank you for your love and care for me and my family. In the name of Jesus, Amen.
[1] John 10:1-10
[2] Genesis 9:25
[3] Genesis 19:30-38