Devotional: The Original Life

In Genesis chapter 3, the Lord has set up Adam and Eve to really begin their lives. The garden was built out so that they were provided for, they had stewardships to keep themselves productive, and they had.a partner in each other to live this life together with. Most of all, they had a clear mission to be fruitful and multiple for the pleasure and glory of God.

But, much like our own, Adam and Eve’s lives were put to the test. At a certain point, they drifted away from depending on and living by the promise of God, and thus, departed from the “Zoe” life (the NT definition of the highest form of life: the Spirit-filled, Spirit-led, and Spirit-empowered life). Dependence on God’s Word and trust in God’s character was supposed to be the framework of their lives.

Questions for Meditation

1. What is the framework of your life? Is it God’s Word? What are the competing frameworks in your life that threaten your dependence on God’s Word?
2. What are the differences, both in the short-term view, and long-term view, of our lives, between the framework of God’s Word, and the other frameworks we sometimes end up depending on?
3. Psalm 119:49 says, “Remember your word to your servant, for you have given me hope.” What promises/words has the Lord given you in the past to hold onto today?
4. Why are promises so important? What does it say about the promise-giver, and what does it say about us, when we hold onto them?
5. What causes us to doubt those promises? How can we fight against that?
6. Why did Adam and Eve stray outside of God’s parameters? Why do we do sometimes?
7. Why are these parameters so important to God, and what effects do they have on our lives?
8. Identify the God-given parameters in your life; which ones are you tempted to cross? Pray that the Lord would give you grace to see His plan and purpose for those parameters, and for a renewed trust and dependence on His Word and character.