Today's eDevotional

for Thursday July 2, 2009

Text for the Day -- Genesis 3:22-24
Then the Lord God said, ‘See, the man has become like one of us, knowing good and evil; and now, he might reach out his hand and take also from the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever’— therefore the Lord God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from which he was taken. He drove out the man; and at the east of the garden of Eden he placed the cherubim, and a sword flaming and turning to guard the way to the tree of life.

Devotional
The breaking in of evil into God's creation occurred through an act of rebellion and sin against God's command to not eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Eve and Adam succumbed to the wiles of the serpent and ate of it. God then decides that they have to leave this paradise they were in and live in the world of struggle, pain and hardship. They could not stay and perhaps eat of the tree of life that would give them immortality in their broken and separated condition. When we step out from under the canopy of God's kingdom - the shade of his tree - we experience a life separated from God that is desert like and barren.

Prayer
By your Spirit, Lord, keep me close to the shade of your kingdom. Amen

Richard Beckmen, executive editor of eDevotionals and Announcements is a Lutheran pastor and writes about prayer and spirituality. He is author of A Beginners Guide to Prayer, Praying for Wholeness and Healing, and has developed a daily devotional program for married couples.

Scripture quotation is from the NEW REVISED STANDARD VERSION of the Bible, copyright 1989, by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the U.S.A. Used by permission. All rights reserved.


Copyright © 1999-2009 eDevotionals & Announcements. All rights reserved.