And the Lord God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; 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.”
Genesis 2:16-7
Today we have federal, state, city, and county rules. We have rules for driving, for buying and selling, and even for dying. Some of those seem to always be changing – like the speed limit: 50 here, 70 there, only 35 over here. There are rules at home and at work. There are moral and ethical rules. And each one comes with consequences when broken.
Adam and Eve were given just one little rule and still could not keep it.
We can indulge in frustration, irritation, and condemnation towards Adam & Eve – they ruined paradise for everybody! But…I must ask myself: if it had been “Adam & Laura” would the results have been different? In our flesh we are all the same as Adam and Eve. We, too, would have chosen our own way then…because we are choosing our own way now.
God wanted Adam and Eve – and, by extension, us— to choose to obey Him out of love. He didn’t force them and He doesn’t force us to obey. He could have left the tree out. He could have put a high fence around it. He chose not to make it unreachable and He gave them many other choices –lots of others trees from which to choose.
Why a choice? Couldn’t he have made us all Pinocchioes to automatically do his bidding?
But He chose to make us in HIS own image (Genesis 1:27) and with that we have free choice. God wants us to choose to obey. He wants us to choose to love Him. As parents, we are delighted when our children CHOOSE to love and obey us. It surely brings pleasure to our great God and heavenly father when we choose to obey Him because we love Him.
Jesus said, “Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me…” John 14:21.
Where is God calling you and me to choose to obey Him because we love Him? We must consider that choosing to continue to sin is to also choose to reject God. Our love for Him compels us to obey Him. His love for us enables us to obey.
Would you ask Him today to give you strength, courage, and the ability to walk in obedience – to obey Him in that difficult area where you might be holding out?
