Genesis 2:16-17

[16] And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, “You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, [17] but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.”

Options.

Sometimes they’re really good. Like when shopping for car insurance, or a large number of clothes that could actually fit you.

Sometimes they’re really bad, like when you’re trying to figure out where to eat out. Or, you know, when the option is between every tree in the garden and 1 that you can’t eat.

We talked earlier this week about option #life.

Here we find the actual commandment. You can have every tree around you, but one.

You can have everything that is beautiful and looks good to eat, but don’t eat this one – for you will surely die.

Options.

What options are you going to have today?

Which, of all your choices, is the best one?

Which option are you going to choose?

Choose option #life.

Genesis 2:10-15

[10] A river flowed out of Eden to water the garden, and there it divided and became four rivers. [11] The name of the first is the Pishon. It is the one that flowed around the whole land of Havilah, where there is gold. [12] And the gold of that land is good; bdellium and onyx stone are there. [13] The name of the second river is the Gihon. It is the one that flowed around the whole land of Cush. [14] And the name of the third river is the Tigris, which flows east of Assyria. And the fourth river is the Euphrates.

[15] The LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it.

We get a brief description of the area surrounding the garden of Eden – note there is gold, bdellium and onyx stone there. The description is beautiful, an area rich in natural resources, water and a garden created by God.

Paradisio.

At least that’s how it starts…

Mainly I want to focus on 15 – that God took man and put him into the garden to work it and keep it.

There’s that four letter word – work.

I have a new perspective on work – I’ve been out of a job for about a month now. I’ve been able to be home, play videogames, finish projects around the house. Normally that all sounds like a great time – and it was for a while. Now, though, I’m ready to get back to work.

Work isn’t meant to be a bad thing. In fact, it gives our lives purpose. Notice that Adam is given a job, immediately after being created. God gives him a job to do.

He isn’t alone in that either. In 1 Kings 19, Elijah comes to God, depressed, broken and feeling alone. He has just defeated the prophets of Baal in an awesome way – “Yeah, my God sent fire down from heaven. That’s right!” Yet he’s afraid of a woman who wants to kill him, and feels like he’s all alone.

God tells Elijah to travel to Mt. Horeb, and then he encounters God. He finds that God isn’t in the fire, the wind or the earthquake, but in the still small voice. Elijah comes out of the cave and God tells Elijah that he still has work to do. Immediately God tells Elijah to do 3 things. “Get back to work, Elijah – I’m not done with you yet.” And then He comforts Elijah, saying, “You are not alone.”

There is power in purpose. Work is purpose. Therefore, there is power in work.

Now I’m not condoning those who become workaholics – those who become so obsessed in their work that they lose sight of the bigger picture of life. That’s not a way to live.

What I am saying is that work shouldn’t be a four-letter word. We all have work to do on this earth. Each of us has a purpose that God has given us.

Yesterday I said to choose option #life.

That requires work.

That requires commitment.

God has work for you to do. Ask Him what it is and get to work!

Genesis 2:8-9

[8] And the LORD God planted a garden in Eden, in the east, and there he put the man whom he had formed. [9] And out of the ground the LORD God made to spring up every tree that is pleasant to the sight and good for food. The tree of life was in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

I wasn’t sure how to start back up again, after nearly a full month has passed since the last post about Genesis. So, I chose the simplest option: start where we left off.

Eden – the very word brings about different thoughts in me. I think of the most beautiful garden I’ve ever seen, then try in my mind to multiple it by 1,000. And the trees! Oh how I love autumn – the leaves changing color and a beautiful palette of vivid colors – oranges, reds – all mixing together. I still can’t fathom Eden.

So, God created man, then places him in Eden, surrounds him with a beautiful garden. Notice that every tree that is pleasing to the sight and good for food was there, its not like Adam and Eve had the choice of whether to eat just from the tree of life or the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

It isn’t like they grew sick of just eating just one type of fruit, and were tempted to eat the other.

No, much like me, they messed up when they had many other options – they chose option #sin.

We’re surrounded with the opportunity to do the right thing.
We’re surrounded with the opportunity to do good, to love people, to clean up our lives.
We’re given the option to eat healthily, to spend only as much as we make, and to tell other people about Jesus.

But what do we choose?

We choose option #sin.
We hurt people, do wrong, mess up our lives.
We eat junk food, go into vast amounts of debt and not tell other people about what Jesus has done for us, because – well, they’d think I’m weird…

Let’s stop.

Let’s strive to choose not to sin.

Let’s strive to see the open way out of temptation – there always is one.

Let’s choose option #life.

Will you stand with me?

Genesis 2:7

[7] then the LORD God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature.

I love this passage.

The LORD God took dust in His hands, and formed a person. With the eye of a master artist, He forms the feet, eyes, hands – the whole body of  man. God is literally hands-on, and that’s why I love this passage.

Yet, without the breath of life, it was nothing but a body. Just skin and bones, hair and nails – no life was in it. So God breathed into man and made him live.

There’s been many more people who’ve talked about this concept, far smarter than I. If you want, you could find out everything there ever was to know about the idea of breath in the Old and New Testament, the Hebrew culture, and even break it all down to word studies.

All I want you to focus on is the fact that God breathed life into man. There’s this feeling, like this is so much more important than all the other creation. God just speaking to create doesn’t suffice… He has to lovingly form man, taking His time, and literally breathe life into him.

We are different, made in His image – and He has breathed life into us.

How is God breathing life into you today?

Are you letting Him?

Genesis 2:4-6

[4] These are the generations

of the heavens and the earth when they were created,

in the day that the LORD God made the earth and the heavens.

[5] When no bush of the field was yet in the land and no small plant of the field had yet sprung up—for the LORD God had not caused it to rain on the land, and there was no man to work the ground, [6] and a mist was going up from the land and was watering the whole face of the ground

No rain.

I can’t really imagine that. I mean, I can, but I don’t want to. Rain is such a beautiful thing to me. There’s something cathartic about standing in the rain, feeling the cold drops of precipitation shock your body with each splash. Then there’s the smell after a rainstorm, and the feeling as if everything is new, everything has been washed clean.

At this time there was no rain, just a mist going up from the ground. That’s something I can’t really imagine. I’ve seen geysers before, but I can’t imagine just a mist coming up from the ground. Was it refreshing? Did it smell? Was it hot or cold?

All these dumb questions, yet none of them focuses around what’s really going on here. This is a quick summary of the time before plants, before mankind came into being. That feeling of anticipation returns, the ground yearns for someone to work it, for man to sow and reap.

There was no man to work the ground. What have I left untended in my life?

There was no man to work the ground. Where have I been planting seeds?

It becomes quite easy to read and not apply, to water yourself, and not others. To let Scripture change you, but only within.

What is God wanting to create in you today?

What seeds does He want you to sow?

What harvest does He want you to reap?