Good morning dear ones!
Before Adam and Eve fell, they were both intimately connected with God and the power that flowed through them affected every area of their lives. Their direct and immediate access to God gave them authority over all the earth and everything in it, which automatically came with the right to command (see Genesis 1:26-28). They also had the right to speak as God speaks. In Genesis 2:7, the original text reads,
• And the Lord God formed man out of the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living, speaking spirit just like God.
Meditate on that for a while!!!
Adam and Eve were completely dependent on God as the source of everything they needed and they lacked for nothing. When we realize the connection we have with our Creator, we can experience the same thing (See Psalm 23:1).
In the beginning, God made man in His Own image. He put mankind in charge of the earth and everything in it. God gave Adam and Eve authority, dominion, and the right to command as He commands. I love what Genesis 2:19-20 says,
• Out of the ground the Lord God formed every beast of the field and every bird of the air, and brought them to Adam to see what he would call them. And whatever Adam called each living creature, that was its name. So, Adam gave names to all cattle, to the birds of the air, and to every beast of the field…
So, God blessed Adam and Eve and commanded them to be fruitful and multiply. He told them to subdue the earth, rule over it, and replenish it. This authority was given to Eve as well as to Adam. They were both totally dependent on God as their source.
When God made the garden of Eden, He gave Adam and Eve everything they could ever need or want in life. The garden was Adam’s home. He had an assignment and a responsibility to care for it and guard it against intruders. When the intruder came into the garden in the form of a serpent, he created confusion and got them to question God’s Word to them.
In Genesis 2:16-17, God said,
• “Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; but of the tree of knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in that day you eat of it, you shall surely die.”
Then we see in chapter 3, verses 4-5, the serpent saying to Eve,
• “You shall not surely die. For God knows that in the day you eat of it, your eyes will be opened and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”
The amazing thing about the deception was, “THEY WERE ALREADY LIKE GOD!” Family, Satan is the author of confusion and is a deceiver. That is why I stress over and over again the importance of knowing the Word of God, because when Satan comes as an angel of light and tries to convince you of something that is not from God, you will be able to detect his lies and cast them down. The more time we spend in His Word, hearing His voice, and knowing His character, the easier it will be to detect the lie. Remember, Satan uses half truths to confuse you into thinking it is God when it is not.
Here is a sure fire way to tell if a thought is from God: THE HOLY SPIRIT AND THE WORD AGREE. So, if what you are hearing does not line up with the Word of God, throw it away. If Adam and Eve had done this when Satan came directly against God’s Word to them, we would not be in the mess we are in today. But, thank God for Jesus, Who stripped Satan of all his power over us, making a public spectacle of him, triumphing over him (see Colossians 2:15).
I encourage you to be sure not to let your emotions take you down a path that leads to destruction. This is why we must regularly read and study the Word, which will give us understanding about God’s original intent for us. When we understand our original purpose, we will not be deceived into seeing ourselves the wrong way.
Serving the Lord with all my heart,
Lisa Gordon
Jesus City Church