For your sake I curse the earth (Genesis 3:17 NKJV)

In the beginning the Lord had created the heavens and the earth including all the animals, and topping of the glory of creation with Adam and Eve. He saw that what He had created was very good. The Lord had made just one prohibition, and Adam and Eva had blown it (Genesis 1:1, 31; 2:16; 3;6). God’s response is basically summarized is the title of this morning’s blog. Other translations have “Cursed is the ground because of you.” This speaks to me of punishment and I think that this is not right (there is no perfect traNslation). “For your sake” speaks to me of the Lord saying that He changed the DNA of creation so that bad choices would have bad consequences (Galatians 6:7). This is intended to help us see our need of Him, and ultimately to restore relationship with Him and each other, the very thing that was lost at the fall. Our prison system testifies to the fact that punishment is often far from redemptive!

C.S. Lewis had an interesting saying to the effect that God whispers to us in our pleasure, but shouts to us in our pain. Physical pain is an indication that something is wrong and shows us our need of a doctor. Similarly the pain and difficulties and consequences of life are designed to show us our need of the great Physician, and to lead us back the the shepherd and guardian of our souls (1 Peter 2:25). I know it was the consequences of my own poor choices that ultimately lead me back to Him. But I seem to have needed to have the rug pulled out from under my feet several times before I was willing to take notice. We can be stubborn and/or afraid. How many of us know of cases where someone fearing he or she had cancer refused to go to the doctor until it was too late?

God took a big, big chance when He gave us free will. But without free will love is meaningless. In order for love to be love, there has to be a choice. I mean He could have made puppets, but what He did was make us significant, and that had to include the fact that our choices be significant too. He created us this way, knowing we would go wrong, but He did not simply leave us stuck in the consequences of our sin. No, at great cost to Himself He provided the way for us to be able to choose to return to Him and then to cooperate with Him in the reversal of the fall. Greater love has no man than this, that He lay down His life for His friends. This is what Christ did, and we are His friends if we obey his commandments (John 15:13,14).

Father, the phrase the goodness and severity of God comes to mind (Romans 11:22). In particular, the severity and the significance of our choices. And just as the one who fears he or she has cancer and refuses to go to the doctor must suffer the consequences, so we too must suffer the consequences of not choosing You. The goodness of God though, is designed to lead us to repentance (Romans 2:4). So once again this morning Lord I come to You as a little child and I surrender to You. I thank You for Your salvation and for increasingly moving me into the abundant life, and I give you all the honour and glory and praise again this morning in Jesus Name Amen