Genesis 3:4-6
4And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die:
5For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.
6And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.
There have been times when I envisioned the outcome of disregarding set guidelines or instructions to be better than following or obeying them. The first time I made smothered chicken, I added an extra teaspoon of flour because I thought the gravy would have a thicker and smoother consistency. Needless to say it didn't turn out that way. Instead it became too thick and I had to add more water and more seasoning to save the dish. If only I followed the recipe.
Many of us, in this same manner, rely on our own ideas or the persuasions of others when it comes to the guidelines for abundant living. Rather then adhering to the recipe outlined in God's Cookbook we turn to lesser and ineffective alternatives.
The word of God contains all that we need to know and do in order to have peace with Him and live abundantly. It's one thing to make a mistake out of ignorance. It's another thing to error because we ignored, disregarded or refused to follow instructions.
- Bookshelves and bakers racks have become unstable or collapsed because the builder didn't follow the manual.
- Relationships and hearts have been broken because the individuals didn't follow the manual.
- People are lost in sin due to their rejection and diversion of the gospel.
Eve's disobedience and that of her husband Adam led to the fall of all mankind. Rather than birthing generations of children in God's likeness, the bible says we are born in sin and shaped in iniquity. Unlike my pot of gravy, Adam and Eve couldn't go back and add a touch or water or pinch of spice to save themselves or the generations to follow from sin and death.
Some of the decisions we make result in irreversible damage to ourselves and others. Teenagers and adults are losing their lives to S.T.D's, Drugs & Alcohol among other things because in one brief moment the were convinced that participating in a risky act would be more favorable then not.
God has provided us with a cookbook of recipes for living and living more abundantly. I wanted to share just a few of them with you. I encourage you to try them and taste and see that the Lord is good.
Recipe for Salvation
Romans 10:9 - If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved
Recipe for Joy
Psalm 1:1-2 Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. But his delight is in the law of the Lord,and on his law he meditates day and night.
Recipe for God's Provision
Matthew 7:7 - Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.
