Devotionals for November 14, 2023
We have ANOTHER new service times! 9:00am & 10:45am services begin this Sunday, November 17th.
READ
Genesis 3:17-19
17 And to Adam he said,
“Because you have listened to the voice of your wife
and have eaten of the tree
of which I commanded you,
‘You shall not eat of it,’
cursed is the ground because of you;
you shall eat bread,
in pain you shall eat of it all the days of your life;
18 thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you;
and you shall eat the plants of the field.
19 By the sweat of your face
till you return to the ground,
for out of it you were taken;
for you are dust,
and to dust you shall return.”
17 And to Adam he said,
“Because you have listened to the voice of your wife
and have eaten of the tree
of which I commanded you,
‘You shall not eat of it,’
cursed is the ground because of you;
you shall eat bread,
in pain you shall eat of it all the days of your life;
18 thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you;
and you shall eat the plants of the field.
19 By the sweat of your face
till you return to the ground,
for out of it you were taken;
for you are dust,
and to dust you shall return.”
REFLECT
The fall of man has impacted all creation. Every part of our lives, and the world around us, is touched by the fall in some way. The consequences of the sins of our first parents have resulted in a world that does not obey our governance. We were made to “subdue” and “have dominion” over creation. In other words, humans were designed to encounter disorganization and organize it, and we were given the divine command and capability to do so. The fall changed this. Now, the creation which was meant to be subdued by us will resist us. Food will not grow as we like it to. Animals will not obey us. Etc.
Perhaps this extends into more personal areas of our lives. The inability to fix broken relationships. The futility we feel at the task of effectively parenting our children. The vulnerability we feel to the parts of creation we were designed to have dominion over. All of these are the curse handed down to us. When we experience the resistance of creation, we are reminded of Adam. But anytime we are reminded of Adam, we must orient our minds to the New Adam, the one who, through his life, death, and resurrection has begun the restoration of creation.
Perhaps this extends into more personal areas of our lives. The inability to fix broken relationships. The futility we feel at the task of effectively parenting our children. The vulnerability we feel to the parts of creation we were designed to have dominion over. All of these are the curse handed down to us. When we experience the resistance of creation, we are reminded of Adam. But anytime we are reminded of Adam, we must orient our minds to the New Adam, the one who, through his life, death, and resurrection has begun the restoration of creation.
APPLY
Q: How has the fall impacted the work itself?
Q: Where do you experience the effects of the fall most in your work?
Q: How does hope in the New Adam reverse the effects of the fall?
Q: Where do you experience the effects of the fall most in your work?
Q: How does hope in the New Adam reverse the effects of the fall?
SING
PRAY
"May your Kingdom come soon. May your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven."
Lord, as we await the day when you will restore creation, help us to live as holy people on this side of eternity. Help us to endure the toil of work to your glory. Amen.
Lord, as we await the day when you will restore creation, help us to live as holy people on this side of eternity. Help us to endure the toil of work to your glory. Amen.