Is that the Best You Can Do?

Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?” And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden, but God said, ‘You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.’” But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate. Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked. And they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths. (Genesis 3:1-7 ESV).

 

“Paradise Lost” is an epic poem in blank verse by the 17th-century English poet John Milton. The first version, published in 1667, consists of ten books with over ten thousand lines of verse. A second edition followed in 1674, arranged into twelve books with minor revisions throughout. The poem concerns the biblical story of the Fall of Man: the temptation of Adam and Eve by the fallen angel Satan and their expulsion from the Garden of Eden. Milton's purpose, as stated in Book I, is to "justify the ways of God to men."

 

Several years ago Time magazine featured a cover story about the book of Genesis. The writer commented that the book of Genesis is far more than a controversial document about creation and evolution. The book of Genesis, he said, “is about us and our origins.” He was partially correct. The book of Genesis is about us and our origins. It tells us who we are and what God intended us to be. It is about God, who created a perfect universe. It also answers the questions about what became of God’s perfect creation and man’s original state.

 

The book also explains why bad things happen to good people. It explains tragedies, natural disasters, disease, depravity, and death. It explains abuse and addictions. It tells us that the first couple’s sin and disobedience had far-reaching consequences for all of creation, ultimately causing what is wrong with this world. That first sin introduced shame, fear, and selfishness. It brought about death to all of creation, including humanity. Of course we know the ultimate answer to this calamity is the work of Jesus on the Cross and the resurrection (cf. John 3:16). The bigger question is the title of today’s devotional: Is that really good? If indeed God knows all things and is all powerful, couldn’t He have kept this from happening. If His promise is that all things work for good (cf. Romans 8:28) How do we justify all the bad that happens? Today we begin a look at that question. It is certainly relevant. For the moment, understand the issue is not logic, but trust. Trust in the Lord!