I thought that it may be useful to add a bit of personal commentary at the beginning which may give some context to how I am feeling and things that happen during my 30 days with Jesus journey. Here is today's:
"As I enter day 2 I have a lot of personal things mounting up against me.
Being a father can be tough, sometimes. I feel a bit stressed out and tired and also I am now entering my third week of having a cold, by the time I teach the last lesson of the day my voice is nearly completely gone - The students find it funny the way my voice squeaks and then no sound comes out for a couple of words then returns, but it seems to be getting worse, not better despite the high number of tablets that I am taking. (High by UK standards, but normal for Korean".
Day 2: The Fall Genesis 3:1-24
Belong
- How does the passage help me know God better?
So this is one of the best known stories in the Bible and describes what God desires from us for the first time. Adam and Eve broke trust with God, their relationship was broken. In a recent sermon we heard about the story also and this came to my mind as I read the passage. God is a fair Lord. But firm, when a punishment is given it is infinite, the relationship is changed... forever.
- How does the passage help me understand how God expects me to live in relation with others?
The passage talks about the first Sin and the repercussions of it. The first sin was temptation. I thought about how many times I have been tempted and given in to temptation. But also being led astray by others.
When I read the passage I noticed a few things that I had not recognised or given much thought to before.
In Genesis 3:21 "The Lord God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them". What did Adam and eve look like before this event. I always just thought the fig leaves were used to cover the nakedness that we feel today with out clothes, but this suggests that they had no skin.
In Genesis 3:22 "The man has now become like one of us, knowing good and evil. He must not be allowed to reach out his hand and take also from the tree of life and eat, and live forever". Become like one of us? Who does this passage refer to, God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit.
The reference to the serpent also raises a question with me... He is punished along with Adam and Eve (3:14) to "Crawl on your belly and eat dust". We know that the serpent is the Devil and that animals can't talk, at least not to us, but before the punishment what form did the Devil take and where did he come from?
Believe
- Try to know the Historical setting
Again the historical setting is hard to know here, other than the obvious... the beginning of man kind.
The context is The first sin, the relationship we have with God and the consequences of our actions.
- Try to know how that context fits into the rest of the greater salvation story of the Bible
How does this fit with the greater story? The first sin and the consequences then progresses through the rest of the story, the next passage is about the offspring of Adam and Eve; Cain and Abel the murderous sin and the story continues sin after sin.
Become
- How can I apply what I have learnt today?
When we think about our relationships with other people, the repercussions or consequences of our actions and how relationships can be changed, forever. So I should be mindful of my actions and the consequences. I think this passage talks about conscious. When I read the news about terrible things that people do to each other, these people appear to have no conscience.
Prayer
- Write down your prayer as a response to what you learned through today's devotional reading.
Dear Lord, our Father,
Please forgive my sins and help me to forgive those around me for their sins.
Thank you for everything you have given to me.
Help me to understand this passage, and how I can use it to be a better person, a better Christian.
Help me also, especially in times of stress and anger, help me to be calm to consider the consequences of my actions and to handle these situations better. Help me to build strong relationships with those around me and to help and support my family.
Everyday bring me closer to you, God. And to understand you more and to understand my role.
I pray in Jesus name
Amen
