God's Promises (part - 1)

I have had different seasons of growth with the Lord since surrendering my own life/will to Him in 2004. Most of my growth seasons have been painful and tough, but the last 9 months has been a sweet season of growth. It has left me excited for the coming year(s) and excited for the path we are on. With all that being said I have wanted to share with the blog world (family and friends) what has been swirling in my head and tugging at my heart. But it is hard to organize thoughts (especially mine) when they are going in a million different directions! Plus how do you do justice to God working in your life through a blog post? or several blog posts? So rather then thinking daily and weekly that I would really like to blog about this, I'm just going to go for it.. share bits and pieces as I can, pray you understand I am human in my writing, and hope that it speaks to your heart as well!

A while back I felt God tugging at my heart to do a study on His promises. To read from Genesis to Revelation and find what He promises. So like any good kid I just started a month ago... ha ha... and am on Genesis chapter 9! (yes I am a tough one I know but I'm sure many of us are) But already I have had some mind blowing thoughts on things, and really some DUH moments! So as I go through this I want to share what I am learning.  I hope it helps someone out there, and also the accountability will hopefully keep me from dragging this task on for 5 years! So here we go promise #1

Genesis 2:16 ..." but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die."

So God is promising Adam and Eve - "Eat from the tree = death". Then here comes the serpent to lie to the woman and tell her that God is lying, she won't die- so she sees it, it looks good, she wants it, she eats it, Adam doesn't stop her (protect her), they are separated from God. The fall in short form.

So this is all the mind-blowing stuff I never got from this story before (I mentioned I was a tough one right?)

1- God equates separation from Him as DEATH. Its not the death that maybe we comprehend in our earthly mind. But He understands that when we are out of His will, protection, covering, etc... we are DEAD. That is HUGE! So everyone walking around that has not found the true love of the heavenly father is basically a walking dead person!

2- With #1 being said, I also saw that the serpent was extremely clever in his deception, because he was right - she wasn't "really" going to die. At least she wouldn't die the way a human thinks of death (although I'm not sure how Adam and Eve really knew about death since they were the first humans, but I digress)  the death they would face would be even greater then loss of the beating heart. So Satan has a way of twisting something to where it seems true, makes sense to us logically, even though it will certainly lead down a deadly path! Cunning from the start.

3 - I don't know why I never saw this before but this blew my mind - THE FIRST SIN WAS WITH A WOMAN AND FOOD!!! Hello Dawn Prather and your food issues! Eve saw food that looked good to her, she wanted it even though she knew she shouldn't have it, she ate it, and she was easily convinced to eat it! HELLO!!!! DUHHH.. I felt like God saying "Dawn your not the first and only to walk this path of struggle, this is where it all started!"

4- Woman's first sin was being controlling and man's first sin is complacency. Definitely a generational sin that has carried down through the years and plagues our generation today!

5- Lastly I see that this led to Adam and Eve's death - and thus a need for "rebirth" or an "adoption" if you will. When we choose to come home back into the Father's care we are adopted back into the family. openly and lovingly He has the door open just waiting for us. And not just waiting for us but coming after us saying no turn around your going the wrong way, your home is this way. Being a sucker for an adoption story, I am thankful the heavenly father adopted me into my intended family, and can't wait to adopt our child into our intended family!!!

So ya, that is one tiny little piece of something on my heart right now. Maybe for most of you this is not anything new, maybe you are thinking BIG DEAL?... and if so.. that's ok, I only wasted a few of your minutes reading this! ha ha! But maybe some of you are like me (slower learners) and never had this perspective! I am blown away by how much I soaked in from one little promise!

A few other "promises" (not as mind blowing but note worthy)

Genesis 3:14-15 "cursed the snake"
Genesis 3:16 - women painful childbirth, will desire for your husband and he will rule over you (aka submission?)  - men cursed is the ground you will work all the days of your life (hello 60 hr work week :(  )


Anyway - as I type this I find it important to say I have NO theology background, I am NOT claiming I have things figured out. Quite the opposite, I want to figure more out, so I can understand our Awesome God just a tiny bit more.  And as I will continue to read the old testament I will be reading knowing that God has something better coming (JESUS!)  And while His promises will show to me more of His character, the picture will not be complete until the promise of the new covenant is fulfilled.

Thanks for reading - lots more to come!

Prayers and Blessings - Dawn