Written by Lauren Furtado
Genesis 3:1-7
1 Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?” 2 And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden, 3 but God said, ‘You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.’” 4 But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. 5 For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” 6 So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate. 7 Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked. And they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths.
The Bible begins with this beautiful picture of God’s perfect plan for humanity and creation. Adam and Eve walked with God, surrounded by abundance in a garden made just for them. But in Genesis 3, sin entered the world and shattered the flawless relationship between God and man.
When the serpent approaches Eve, asking, “Did God actually say?” a seed of doubt is planted in Eve’s heart. Rather than turning to God to be reminded of His truths, Eve continues the conversation with her own version of God’s command. Satan subtly mocks God, suggesting God is withholding His best from her. Instead of focusing on all that God has provided in the garden, she focuses on the one thing God commands her not to do. The forbidden fruit, delicious and beautiful, suddenly becomes her greatest desire. Eve takes a bite, and Adam joins in. Immediately, they are aware of their vulnerable humanity, and they hide from their loving Creator. What began as simple doubt opened the door to sin and shame.
Like Eve, too often, I focus on the things I desire yet do not have, rather than giving thanks to God for what He’s already provided. Instead of seeing His boundaries on my life as His protection, I’m tempted to believe He is holding out on me. When I doubt God’s goodness I miss His abundant blessings in my life. Unknowingly, I allow doubt, fear, or pride to rewrite God’s promises. These thoughts lead me away from trust and toward disobedience.
But God has a better way. When I hold on to the truth that God is enough, I am blessed by the privilege of relationship with Him. When I trust His plans, I get to live in freedom knowing He has everything under control. Despite the perfect circumstances in the garden, Adam and Eve desired something more than God, allowing sin into God’s perfect creation. While our world is still broken and sin runs rampant, God has not changed. He is still a good God, desiring relationship with us and giving us all we need to fight temptation and exalt Him above all else. His perfect plans are always for our good and His glory.
Prayer Prompts:
Pray and ask the Lord to grow in you a passionate desire for Him above all else. Thank God for His protection and provision.
Pray that your eyes would be opened to the small ways that fear, discouragement, or pride might be creeping into your thought life causing you to doubt God, and ask Him to recenter your focus on the only One worthy of your devotion.
