IMMANUEL...GOD IS STILL WITH US

DAY 1  "IN THE BEGINNING"

Scripture: Genesis 3:15

Our Lord God Almighty had His plan of love and redemption from the beginning of time. Although Satan, through the serpent, tempted Adam and Eve to sin against God, that wasn’t the end of the story. God cursed the serpent and set in motion the promise of our Savior, Jesus Christ. Satan is the enemy of all mankind purposing to maintain separation between God and His creation. Although Satan desires to steal, kill, and destroy, our Savior, Jesus, forever lives to reconcile and redeem God’s people, give new life, and demonstrate God’s heart for His people. 

There is a myriad of differences between our story and the story of Eden, but the few similarities somehow help us to understand what happened in the garden a bit more. The consequence of our actions and their sin would rightly have been death, but all that concerned us was our shame. When we think of the scene in the garden, sometimes we focus on the consequences of disobedience and how apparent Adam and Eve’s humanity became. They were naked and afraid and facing lives of painful labor because they broke a command of God.

 But God is good and wise and in the business of redemption. In Genesis, we see that God disciplined them with both mercy and justice. He promised a plan for humanity’s newly-needed rescue (Genesis 3:15). He disciplined his children (vv.16-19). He covered their shame (v.21). And He sent them out of the garden (vv.23-24), where they would await the fulfillment of the first promise of redemption—the coming Messiah.

Today is an important day. It is our chance to begin the Advent season with this very first recorded promise of a Savior. When we think of our sin, we’re often tempted to focus on our shame, or perhaps on our consequences. Today, as we walk out the consequences of participating in a fallen world, be reminded that the God who made us disciplines us because He loves us. He covers our shame. He saves us from death, giving us life instead (Ephesians 2:4-5).

These next few days are all about God’s justice and mercy and His plan to save the world through Jesus, His Son. We’ll read hints and promises and proofs of this plan of salvation in action, so that, when we arrive at Christmas Day, we might have a fuller view of the significance of Christ’s Advent. As we read, may we remember,  we’re reading our very own story of rescue: for He still continues to be GOD WITH US.

Write out your thoughts   

Prayer
Father, just as You sent John the Baptist to prepare the way for Jesus, help me to clear the path in my heart, too. Show me the distractions in my life that block me from all-out worship of You this Advent. Lord, I await Your coming! As I celebrate the first Advent––the first coming––I look toward the day where I will see You face to face. I imagine what it will be like. Give me a heart, Lord, that looks for Your coming on a daily basis. Help me to live my life where I'm constantly seeking Your presence. -