Genesis 3-5
Do you ever have one of those days that feels like a direct result of the fall of man? It might start with something small, but issues elevate and consequences follow. The serpent lied to Eve, she disobeyed and pulled her husband into the same sin. Adam knew he was doing something wrong (even though he hadn’t eaten from the tree yet), but still did it. Then there were consequences for each of them. The next sin that we hear about is murder, followed by more consequences. The murder of Abel started with Cain not putting forth his best. He wasn’t loving God with his whole self and got frustrated with God’s reaction. That frustration turned to anger and manifested itself in the murder of his brother. Think about your relationship with your family. Does a small frustration ever elevate into a full blown argument? Sometimes all you have to is take a look at yourself and how you are showing love (more likely not showing love) to realize that your small frustration stems back to yourself rather than you spouse or kids.
I love that God shows His redemptive power even in the earliest history of man. After the death of Abel, Adam and Eve are given another son named Seth. By His grace, the line of Seth leads to Enoch, who walked so steadily with God that he was just taken by God rather than dying. God’s redemptive story continues from the line of Enoch in the story of Noah.
Psalm 2
God gives us the free will to either love Him or deny Him. We see it in Genesis with people like Cain who doesn’t want to give God his best and ends up leaving the presence of God. We also see it in Enoch who walks faithfully with God. The road of denying Him leads to failure and death, but worshiping God in “adoring embrace” and celebrating in “trembling awe” of Him leads to a life full of His grace, fulfilled in Christ Jesus.