Digging Deeper: Trust in the Lord

Avatar photo Phil Meade on May 7, 2025

 

“Fear not, stand firm, and see the salvation of the Lord”

Exodus 14:13a (ESV)

 


TRUST IN THE LORD

 

As we saw yesterday, the Israelites were frozen on the shores of the Red Sea. They did not trust Moses—and by proxy, God—and they wavered in their decision to enter the waters. We’ll leave that part of the story for a moment and step back to their days of captivity in Egypt.

Moses delivers God’s message to Pharaoh, but things have not gone as he expected. Moses addresses the Lord, saying,

“O Lord, why have you done evil to this people? Why did you ever send me?
For since I came to Pharaoh to speak in your name, he has done evil to this people, and you have not delivered your people at all” (Ex. 5:22b–23).

The people are still suffering at the hands of their Egyptian masters. The king of Egypt refuses to let them go—but he is about to learn a very tough lesson. God reassures Moses that He is in control. He tells him,

“Now you will see what I will do to Pharaoh: Because of my mighty hand he will let them go; because of my mighty hand he will drive them out of his country” (Ex. 6:1, NIV).

Ten plagues later, the people are freed from their bondage.

We now return to the edge of the Red Sea. Moses answers the people’s indecision with,

“Fear not, stand firm, and see the salvation of the Lord, which he will work for you today.
For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall never see again.
The Lord will fight for you, and you have only to be silent” (Ex. 14:13b–14).

The deep waters of the Red Sea lie ahead, and the entire Egyptian army lies behind. And Moses instructs the people to “only be silent.” The Psalter reminds us that God is our “refuge and strength.” Though the seas may “roar and foam,” the “Lord of hosts is with us.”

“Be still, and know that I am God” (Ps. 46).

I don’t know about you, but I struggle with the whole “be still and be silent” dynamic. I’m analytical, a problem-solver. Trusting in the abilities of others is sometimes a challenge for me. With God, however, it all comes down to trust. Before we can act, we must believe that God is trustworthy. As the writer of Proverbs notes,

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.
In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths” (Prov. 3:5–6).

For the Israelites, their “straight path” to safety and freedom could only be traversed by putting their faith and trust in God. He alone had the power to separate the waters of the Red Sea.

It ultimately comes down to obedient faith. Obedient faith leads to action, which builds trust, which results in stronger faith and unwavering obedience—and the cycle continues. Ask yourself: Who do you trust when you’re facing obstacles on all sides? Are you “leaning on your own understanding,” or will you

“Taste and see that the Lord is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him” (Ps. 34:8)?

Take heart—God is more than worthy of your trust. As we will discuss tomorrow, trusting in the Lord will get you “off the fence” and moving along the path He provides.

Digging Deeper (er):

Hebrews 11:6; Psalm 112:7; Psalm 143:8

 

Phil Meade is a father of 3, and grandfather of 5. He has a Masters Degree in Theological Studies from Liberty University, and lives in Acworth. He has led various small groups throughout his more than 20 years attending NS. He retired after 8 years as an Air Force pilot, and 33 years as a Delta pilot.

 

Authentic Confession

Kevin Burrell on May 7, 2025

 

If we freely admit that we have sinned and confess our sins, God is faithful and just , and will forgive our sins and cleanse us continually from all unrighteousness our wrongdoing, everything not in conformity with His will and purpose.

1 John 1:9

 

AUTHENTIC CONFESSION

 

Do you ever feel like you’re constantly bringing the same mess-ups, failures, and sins before God—week after week?
I certainly do. One week, you confess to God that you lost your self-control… only to blow it again the very next. It’s frustrating. It’s humbling. And yet—it’s real.

Confession is not a suggestion. It’s a sacred invitation.
A divine door swings open when we admit our sin before God. The beauty of 1 John 1:9 isn’t just the promise that we are forgiven, but also the posture it calls us to: honesty, humility, and heartache over sin. Let’s walk through what it looks like to truly confess:

1. Confess Personally

Sin is not just a general condition—it’s personal.
Confession begins when I stop pointing outward and start looking inward. “If we freely admit and confess our sins to God…” (1 John 1:9). This isn’t about others. It’s about me, taking full responsibility before God. Confession isn’t a group conversation—it’s the raw honesty of standing alone before the One who sees everything… and still calls me to come.

Q: Are you owning your sin before God, or hiding behind the sins of others?

2. Confess Particularly

It’s not enough to say, “God, forgive me for everything.”
Generalities don’t change hearts. That’s not confession. When Jesus taught His disciples to pray, He modeled naming specific needs. We should do the same with sin. Name it: pride, lust, bitterness, loss of self-control, dishonesty, lying, greed, envy. God isn’t shocked—He’s just waiting for your honesty.

Q: What specific sin do you need to name before God today?

3. Confess Promptly

The longer sin sits, the more damage it does.
Delay hardens the heart. Don’t wait. God’s grace is ready now, but confession must be timely. The moment the Holy Spirit brings conviction is the moment to respond. Prompt confession keeps your heart soft and your fellowship with God close.

Q: Is there anything you’re putting off confessing?

4. Confess Prepared

Confession is sacred. It should never be rushed or careless.
Prepare your heart in quiet, away from distractions. Find a private place. Come in humility—not with excuses or justifications. Be still. Let the Holy Spirit search you. Ask Him to reveal what you’ve ignored or overlooked.

Q: Are you creating space to hear God, or rushing past Him?

5. Confess Painfully

Does your sin grieve you?
True confession stings. Not because God is harsh—but because sin offends His holiness. We’ve wounded the One who loves us most. If your sin doesn’t hurt, sit longer. Ask God to break your heart for what breaks His.

Q: Does your sin stir your soul—or have you grown numb?

Listen Closely:

The word “confess” in 1 John 1:9 simply means “to agree with God.”
See your sin as He sees it. Then pause, and thank Him that He has already forgiven you—by nailing every past, present, and future sin to the Cross.

Your sin debt has been paid in full.
That is God’s amazing grace!

Be Worth Being.

Love God.  Love People.  Live Sent.

Kevin

 

Kevin Burrell has worked in professional baseball as both a player and MLB scout for the past 44 years, and currently serves as an area scouting supervisor. Kevin was drafted in the 1st round of the 1981 free agent amateur draft (25th selection overall), and played ten years of professional baseball with four different organizations. He and his wife, Valerie, live in Sharpsburg, Ga.

Digging Deeper: Stop Wavering, Decide

Avatar photo Phil Meade on May 6, 2025

 

12 “Is not this what we said to you in Egypt: ‘Leave us alone that we may serve the Egyptians’? For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the wilderness”

Exodus 14:12 (ESV)

 


STOP WAVERING, DECIDE

 

We all have those moments in life when we must decide on a course of action. It may be a job change, a change of residence, a change in a relationship, or one of a myriad of other large (and not-so-large) decisions. William James, often called the father of American psychology, noted, “There is no more miserable human being than one in whom nothing is habitual but indecision.”

Are you a habitual “fence-sitter”? In my much younger days, I was an instructor pilot in the T-38—a high-speed Air Force trainer. When you’re moving at speeds approaching the speed of sound, making a quick and correct decision is vital. My best students were the ones who made timely decisions. Quite often, they made the wrong decision—that’s what I got paid to do: keep us safe and alive—but I was never upset with the decision they made. With time and experience, they learned how to make the right ones. The students who struggled most were the ones who froze. They were so afraid of making the wrong decision that they made no decision at all—not ideal when you’re doing 600 MPH. They wavered.

We pick up the story of the Israelites’ flight from Egypt in Exodus chapter 14. Moses is leading the people as they approach the shore of the Red Sea. The Egyptian army is closing fast on their heels, and the people cry to Moses:

“Is it because there are no graves in Egypt that you have taken us away to die in the wilderness? What have you done to us in bringing us out of Egypt?
Is not this what we said to you in Egypt: ‘Leave us alone that we may serve the Egyptians’?
For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the wilderness” (Ex. 14:11–12).

The people begin to waver, paralyzed by fear of the approaching army. They long for their days in captivity. Unable to decide to trust in the Lord and move forward, they contemplate making a terrible decision—to return to their former life of slavery.

Scripture is replete with the contrast between freedom and slavery. We are called to give up the yoke of slavery that sin entangles us with and to rest in the freedom that Jesus gave His life for (Eph. 5:1). As Peter notes, “Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God” (1 Pet. 2:16). Paul reminds the church in Rome, “For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death” (Rom. 8:2).

What situation in your life is on hold because you cannot decide? Are you afraid of making the wrong decision? Welcome to the human race. But I challenge you—like my former students—to recognize that indecision is, itself, a wrong decision. I am not suggesting making a hasty decision just for the sake of acting. But if your current situation is untenable, choose freedom over slavery. Take it to God. Our faith is an active faith. God will show you the pathway, but you must decide to take the first step. Then stand in awe as God parts the troubled waters you’re in and leads you to the Promised Land!

Digging Deeper (er):

Psalm 118:5; Isaiah 30:21; Deuteronomy 30:19

 

Phil Meade is a father of 3, and grandfather of 5. He has a Masters Degree in Theological Studies from Liberty University, and lives in Acworth. He has led various small groups throughout his more than 20 years attending NS. He retired after 8 years as an Air Force pilot, and 33 years as a Delta pilot.

 

Digging Deeper: God Will Equip, God Will Send

Avatar photo Phil Meade on May 5, 2025

 

20 Now may the God of peace . . . 21 equip you with everything good that you may do his will, working in us that which is pleasing in his sight

Hebrews 13:20a, 21a (ESV)

 


GOD WILL EQUIP, GOD WILL SEND

 

In part one of the “Greatest Hits” series, Mike noted that the serpent twisted the words of God to implant doubt in the mind of Eve (Gen. 3:1–5). She began to doubt the word of God and acted out of her own self-interest. The fall from grace was the result, and humanity was forever tainted with the burden of sin.

Fast forward a few millennia to the arrival of Moses. Moses was a simple shepherd for his father-in-law when God called him—from a burning bush—to lead His people out of bondage and into the Promised Land (Ex. 3:7–9). God said, “Come, I will send you to Pharaoh that you may bring my people, the children of Israel, out of Egypt” (Ex. 3:10, ESV). Did our future hero jump at the chance? You be the judge:

But Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?” (Ex. 3:11).

Moses is no different from the rest of us. When God called him to this monumental task, his first thought was to doubt his qualifications for the job. Yet God would not be deterred—He is God, after all! God replies, “But I will be with you” (Ex. 3:12). One would think that if God promises to be with you, what argument can be made against Him? Moses, however, is not yet convinced.

As Exodus chapter 3 concludes, God explains to Moses who He is (“I AM WHO I AM”) and instructs him on what to say to the elders of the people and to Pharaoh. Moses, however, is not so anxious to “put his yes on the table.” He answers God, “But behold, they will not believe me or listen to my voice, for they will say, ‘The Lord did not appear to you’” (Ex. 4:1). God, as always, has an answer. He gives Moses two signs and tells him, “If they will not believe you . . . or listen to the first sign, they may believe the latter sign” (Ex. 4:8).

Moses is still not convinced he is the man for the job. He tries a different argument, stating, “Oh, my Lord, I am not eloquent, either in the past or since you have spoken to your servant, but I am slow of speech and of tongue” (Ex. 4:10). God once again deflects Moses’ argument, replying, “Now therefore go, and I will be with your mouth and teach you what you shall speak” (Ex. 4:12).

Finally, Moses runs out of arguments. He simply pleads, “Oh, my Lord, please send someone else” (Ex. 4:13). God has heard enough, and He is angry. He asks Moses, “Is there not Aaron, your brother, the Levite? I know that he can speak well… You shall speak to him and put the words in his mouth, and I will be with your mouth and with his mouth and will teach you both what to do” (Ex. 4:14a, 15).

The writer of Hebrews reminds his audience that God will “equip you with everything good that you may do His will, working in us that which is pleasing in His sight” (Heb. 13:21a). Paul tells the church at Ephesus, “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do” (Eph. 2:10, NIV).

When God calls you to work for His kingdom, do not doubt. Your first thought may be, “I am not worthy enough or talented enough”—and you would be correct. Fortunately for us (and for those we encounter), God is all that is required. He has promised to equip you. Put your “yes on the table,” and go!

Digging Deeper (er):

2 Corinthians 9:8; Philippians 4:13; Joshua 1:9

 

Phil Meade is a father of 3, and grandfather of 5. He has a Masters Degree in Theological Studies from Liberty University, and lives in Acworth. He has led various small groups throughout his more than 20 years attending NS. He retired after 8 years as an Air Force pilot, and 33 years as a Delta pilot.

 

Digging Deeper: Our Hope is not Lost

Avatar photo Bridget Turner on May 2, 2025

 

Then he said to the woman, “I will sharpen the pain of your pregnancy, and in pain you will give birth. And you will desire to control your husband, but he will rule over you]” And to the man he said, “Since you listened to your wife and ate from the tree whose fruit I commanded you not to eat, the ground is cursed because of you. All your life you will struggle to scratch a living from it. It will grow thorns and thistles for you, though you will eat of its grains. By the sweat of your brow will you have food to eat until you return to the ground from which you were made. For you were made from dust, and to dust you will return.”

Genesis 3:16-19 (NLT)

 

OUR HOPE IS NOT LOST

 

Reading this part of the story can be challenging. The consequences of Adam and Eve’s choices have an impact on all of us.

Growing up, I spent quite a bit of time helping my grandparents keep weeds and thorns out of their crops. That was hard work! My husband and I recently celebrated our 30th wedding anniversary, and we both know that is a testament to the grace of God—because marriage is hard work. And as a mother, I can vouch that childbirth is painful. However, all that personal labor brings good benefits: nutritious food, a loving marriage, and beautiful children, respectively.

We know the rest of the story—and Jesus changes everything! John, in Revelation, tells us:
“I heard a loud shout from the throne, saying, ‘Look, God’s home is now among his people! He will live with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them. He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever.’” (Revelation 21:3–4)

As we wrap up this week’s story of Adam and Eve, please remember: when this world seems hard, God is close. He is ever-present, preparing to come for His bride. One day, He will return and make everything right. Sin will be no more, and our hope will be fulfilled.

Bridget Turner serves as the Director of Women’s Groups at NorthStar Church. She and her husband, Steve, live in Powder Springs and have two young adult children, Hannah and Joshua. She enjoys watching football, traveling and reading.

 

Digging Deeper: The Battle of Good vs. Evil

Avatar photo Bridget Turner on May 1, 2025

 

“Who told you that you were naked?” the Lord God asked. “Have you eaten from the tree whose fruit I commanded you not to eat?” The man replied, “It was the woman you gave me who gave me the fruit, and I ate it. Then the Lord God asked the woman, “What have you done?” “The serpent deceived me,” she replied. “That’s why I ate it.”

Genesis 3:12-13 (NLT)

 

THE BATTLE OF GOOD VS. EVIL

 

Today we pick up the story of Adam and Eve right after Adam tells God that he was afraid because he was naked, so he hid. This is where the finger-pointing begins!

God asks Adam if he ate the forbidden fruit. Adam replies, “The woman you gave me—she gave me the fruit to eat.” God then asks Eve what she has done. She says, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate the fruit.” Adam blames Eve, and Eve blames the serpent.

God does not question the serpent but immediately places a curse on him, saying, “You will crawl on your belly, groveling in the dust as long as you live. And I will cause hostility between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring. He will strike your head, and you will strike his heel” (Genesis 3:14–15).

There are so many questions that come up from this story that we may never fully understand. Why didn’t God stop Adam and Eve from eating the fruit? Why place the fruit in the garden to begin with? Why allow the serpent near them at all?

This part of the story—and those questions—remind me of parenting. When our children were small, I would set them up in our den, a safe place for them to play. I didn’t go around and remove everything in the house that could harm them—I simply placed them in a setting where they could enjoy their freedom. Inevitably, one of them would get hurt.

Here’s what we do know about this story: God is good, and He loves His children. His plan has always been for us to live in relationship with Him. Nothing changes that. Eve and the serpent’s offspring will live in hostility—good versus evil. However, God also tells the serpent that he will receive a mortal wound to the head.

Jesus came to destroy the works of the devil (1 John 3:8), and His death on the cross won the battle for all of us.

God is working on our behalf all the time. Take time today to thank Him for His sacrifice and His daily protection over us.

Bridget Turner serves as the Director of Women’s Groups at NorthStar Church. She and her husband, Steve, live in Powder Springs and have two young adult children, Hannah and Joshua. She enjoys watching football, traveling and reading.

 

Digging Deeper: Mercy and Forgiveness

Avatar photo Bridget Turner on April 30, 2025

 

And the Lord God made clothing from animal skins for Adam and his wife.

Genesis 3:21 (NLT)

 

MERCY AND FORGIVENESS

 

Amy Seiffert, in her Bible Minute with Amy daily reel, recently talked about how laundry is her least favorite chore. Genesis says Adam and Eve were naked and unashamed—until they ate the forbidden fruit (Genesis 2:25). Then they immediately covered themselves with fig leaves—the first laundry! Amy concludes that if you don’t like doing laundry, remember it’s because of the Fall, the original sin in the Garden of Eden. Good point!

Genesis 3:7 says, “At that moment their eyes were opened, and they suddenly felt shame at their nakedness. So they sewed fig leaves together to cover themselves.” The fig leaves provided a temporary solution for their shame. However, not only did they hide their bodies from each other—Scripture goes on to say they also hid from God among the trees. When God returned to the garden, Adam said, “I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked, so I hid” (Genesis 3:9–10).

God then asked him directly if they had eaten from the tree He commanded them not to eat from. That’s when the “blame game” begins, and God addresses the consequences of their sin. We’ll come back to that portion of Genesis 3 tomorrow.

Today, our focus is on Genesis 3:21: “And the Lord God made clothing from animal skins for Adam and his wife.” Ironically, Adam and Eve knew enough to try and cover their sin. They used fig leaves—a temporary, short-term solution. Thankfully, God is merciful and knows that sin requires death—a shedding of blood—to be covered.

Genesis 3:21 is the first time we see a sacrifice for sin in Scripture. Animals die to provide covering and restoration for Adam and Eve. This foreshadows what we just celebrated at Easter: Jesus was crucified, buried, and resurrected to restore humankind to Himself.

Today, take time to consider whether there is sin in your life that you’re trying to hide from God. Confess it to Him in prayer, and ask for the strength to repent and fully accept His mercy and forgiveness.

 

Bridget Turner serves as the Director of Women’s Groups at NorthStar Church. She and her husband, Steve, live in Powder Springs and have two young adult children, Hannah and Joshua. She enjoys watching football, traveling and reading.

 

Your Assignment

Kevin Burrell on April 30, 2025

 

“But my life is worth nothing to me unless I use it for finishing the work assigned me by the Lord Jesus, the work of telling others the Good News about the wonderful grace of God.”

Acts 20:24

 

YOUR ASSIGNMENT

 

John spent much of his life trying to be someone he wasn’t—chasing after the image of success he saw in head coaches, famous athletes, business entrepreneurs, and influential leaders. Each day he shaped himself to fit their mold, but he found only emptiness and frustration. Deep down, he sensed a quiet pull, a reminder that he was meant for something different. However, he kept ignoring it and pushing it aside. He believed that acceptance and purpose would come by becoming someone the world admired, not realizing he was drifting further and further from who God created him to be.

The reality is that God had already prepared an assigned work for John—something that matched his true heart, gifts, talents, personality, and abilities. Yet every time John chased someone else’s path, he delayed the fulfillment and joy God intended for him. He was often in someone else’s lane, trying to live out their assigned calling and work. It wasn’t until John stopped striving to be someone else that he finally found peace. When he embraced his true identity, he stepped into the purpose he was made for and assigned to, discovering a life far richer than anything he had tried to create on his own.

In a similar way, as children of God, we have been lovingly and intentionally assigned a work by the Lord Jesus Himself. This isn’t a random task handed out without thought. It is a specific calling—one that fits within the sweet spot of how God has uniquely created us, with our gifts, our talents, our abilities, and our passions.

The Apostle Paul understood this so deeply that he said his very life was worth nothing unless it was poured out fulfilling the assigned work Jesus had given him. His assignment was to tell others about the Good News of God’s wonderful love and grace, and he refused to be distracted from that mission by anything or anyone else. He didn’t covet another person’s calling. He didn’t compare himself to others. He didn’t veer off into another person’s lane. He stayed faithful to what he was assigned.

Listen Closely: God has done the same with you—whether you’re an athlete, coach, pro scout, business leader, pastor, or ministry leader. Before you were ever born, God wove into you the abilities and desires that would match the calling He planned for your life. Your gifts are not random; they are intentional. Your passions are not meaningless; they are signposts pointing you toward your assignment. Your life, lived fully in the center of that calling, becomes an amazing offering to God.

It’s so easy to look around and want to imitate someone else’s abilities, someone else’s success, someone else’s gifting, and someone else’s assignment. However, when you strive to be someone you’re not, you step out of the place where your life carries its greatest influence. Faithfulness is not about how much you accomplish compared to others—it’s about how faithful you are to what God has assigned to you.

God has specifically equipped you for a purpose that no one else can fulfill exactly like you can. Stay in your lane. Be faithful in your calling. Don’t compare. Don’t compete. Just complete the work God has assigned and entrusted to you, knowing that in doing so, you will hear the greatest words imaginable one day:

“Well done, My good and faithful servant.”
(Matthew 25:23)

Be Worth Being.

Love God.  Love People.  Live Sent.

Kevin

 

Kevin Burrell has worked in professional baseball as both a player and MLB scout for the past 44 years, and currently serves as an area scouting supervisor. Kevin was drafted in the 1st round of the 1981 free agent amateur draft (25th selection overall), and played ten years of professional baseball with four different organizations. He and his wife, Valerie, live in Sharpsburg, Ga.

Digging Deeper: Good Fruit

Avatar photo Bridget Turner on April 29, 2025

 

So, we have not stopped praying for you since we first heard about you. We ask God to give you complete knowledge of his will and to give you spiritual wisdom and understanding. 10 Then the way you live will always honor and please the Lord, and your lives will produce every kind of good fruit. All the while, you will grow as you learn to know God better and better.

Colossians 1:9-10 (NLT)

 

GOOD FRUIT

 

My son recently shared a story that occurred at his work. A 7-year-old boy came in for a baseball evaluation, hoping to get private lessons set up. While chatting with the young boy, my son put some equipment out and then left him in the batting cage to grab one last thing. When he returned, the boy told him all the equipment was broken.

My son was shocked. While he was gone, the boy had knocked over the batting tee and kicked the other equipment around the cage, indeed breaking a few things. While we had a good laugh about it that evening, I offered my son one piece of advice: no one has to teach us to be bad—it’s in our nature.

This is the consequence for all of us due to Adam and Eve’s disobedience to God and their eating from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Scripture says that after they ate the fruit, they immediately felt shame (Genesis 3:7). Sin. They could not undo it. They could not change it. They could not hide it.

Eve had described the fruit as good, delightful, and desirable. Yet, there was other fruit they could eat that was just as good. There was fruit that was delightful—offered in multiple colors, shapes, and tastes that would satisfy. No other fruit was off-limits. Unfortunately, they chose to believe the serpent’s lies, and their desire for the forbidden won out.

Every day we live, there are choices to be made. The pull of our flesh to be selfish and to do what we desire is strong. It takes intention to choose God’s best and not simply give in to ourselves. Lysa TerKeurst, in her book The Best Yes, says, “The one who obeys God’s instruction for today will develop a keen awareness of His direction for tomorrow.”

Let’s take time to pray like Paul did for the Colossians in our verses today. May we all have complete knowledge, spiritual wisdom, and understanding to make choices that produce good fruit for God’s kingdom—today, tomorrow, and the next day.

 

Bridget Turner serves as the Director of Women’s Groups at NorthStar Church. She and her husband, Steve, live in Powder Springs and have two young adult children, Hannah and Joshua. She enjoys watching football, traveling and reading.

 

Digging Deeper: What Did God Really Say?

Avatar photo Bridget Turner on April 28, 2025

 

But the Lord God warned him, “You may freely eat the fruit of every tree in the garden except the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. If you eat its fruit, you are sure to die.”

Genesis 2:16-17 (NLT)

 

WHAT DID GOD REALLY SAY?

 

I love a good story. As a young child, I remember hearing the biblical stories of Creation, Noah and the Ark, Jonah and the Whale, Daniel in the Lion’s Den, and so many more. They captivated me and became the catalyst for my desire to know and accept Christ.

Our new sermon series, Greatest Hits, is all about digging a bit deeper into these stories—looking more closely at the details and seeing how God reveals Himself throughout the Bible.

This week, we start right at the beginning with Adam and Eve, and how sin entered creation through disobedience. What did God really say? Our verses today tell us that God instructed Adam to freely eat the fruit of every tree in the garden—except from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. If they ate that fruit, they would die. That seems fair and quite clear, so how does sin enter the picture?

The serpent twists God’s words. Genesis 3:1 says he speaks to the woman (Eve), “Did God really say, ‘You can’t eat from any tree in the garden’?” Eve’s response is mostly correct, but she adds a twist as well. Genesis 3:2–3 says, “The woman said to the serpent, ‘We may eat the fruit from the trees in the garden. But about the fruit of the tree in the middle of the garden, God said, “You must not eat it or touch it, or you will die.”’ God said nothing about touching the fruit, but Eve adds that caveat. It opens the door for the serpent to insinuate that God is withholding something good for selfish reasons.

In Genesis 3:5, the serpent continues, “In fact, God knows that when you eat it, your eyes will be opened and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” He already knows that Adam and Eve were created in God’s image and given authority over him (Genesis 1:26–27). Unfortunately, Eve sets her eyes on the fruit and sees it as good, delightful, and desirable. She eats it and gives some to Adam. With that first bite, God’s gift—to keep them from understanding good and evil and from the consequences of sin and death—is lost forever.

Consider today how you can be 100% certain of what God says and avoid the deception of Satan. The best way to start is by reading God’s Word consistently. Charles Spurgeon says, “Draw from it your ammunition and armor. Make it your daily meat and drink, so you will be strong to resist the devil and joyful in discovering that he will flee.”

 

Bridget Turner serves as the Director of Women’s Groups at NorthStar Church. She and her husband, Steve, live in Powder Springs and have two young adult children, Hannah and Joshua. She enjoys watching football, traveling and reading.