When John D. Rockefeller was asked, “How much is money is enough”, one of history’s richest men answered, “just a little bit more.” Adam, our first man, was a also very rich man. Consider his situation. In Genesis 2 we have read that God breathed into Adam the breath of life and made him a living soul. His environment would have received any town’s “best garden” award; no less an authority than God himself proclaiming it to be “very good”. Hungry? At his disposal was “every tree pleasing in appearance and good for food”. Purpose? How about assignments given directly by, you guessed it, God. In need of a little bling? With pure gold, bdellium, and onyx, God covered that too. Finally, of course, the companionship of the best woman on earth! Adam was a rich man.
Yet, by the end of chapter 3 we find Adam struggling with the consequences of his sin – the original sin. He and Eve are cast out of God’s garden, away from the tree of life, with no way back in. He found himself in an untamed wilderness, where even the basics of life could only be had by “the sweat of his brow”. Life and relationships were now marked by pain and suffering.
This week we will look more closely at this story to understand some key components of the devil’s cunning tactics, and how we may guard our hearts and lives.
Something to Understand: To start, take a moment today to see evidence of God’s goodness in your life and exercise those “thankfulness” muscles! Like Adam, we are rich in so many ways, yet can also fall into periods where gratefulness does not come easy.