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Consequence and Hope for Man

Words of Faith Final

Consequence and Hope for Man
Words of Faith 1-26-2022
Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy © 2022
Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com
Faith Fellowship Church - Melbourne, FL
www.faithfellowshipweb.com
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Genesis 3
    [17] To Adam he said, "Because you listened to your wife and ate from the tree about which I commanded you, 'You must not eat of it,'  "Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat of it all the days of your life. [18] It will produce thorns and thistles for you, and you will eat the plants of the field. [19] By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you will return."

        What were the consequences of sin for Adam and his descendants? Of course, Adam and Eve had already experienced the massive result of breaking the relationship with the Lord. They had spoiled the perfect fellowship with God and the harmonious relationship with one another. There was still more brokenness that would affect day-to-day living. Both the land and their work in the land would now be cursed.
        Before the Fall, life was good. Everything was at least good, and some things were very good! But now, a curse was upon the "good land" provided by the Creator. Man could no longer "freely eat" of the produce of the land. From now on, producing food would be difficult. There would be a battle against thorns and thistles.
         Work was also cursed. Work had been a joyful cooperation with the Lord God caring for the Garden and subduing the earth. But after the Fall, work was difficult. Life became difficult "until you return to the ground." After the Fall, life is hard, and then you die.
         As we look around the world, we can see the ongoing consequence of the Fall. Life is hard, and then you die. Work is hard and often is not meaningful or fulfilling. Even with the advances in technology and agriculture, much of the world struggles to survive day-to-day. We are constantly reminded of our need for God and our longing for redemption.
        But you know what is coming next... there is redemption! The Lord Jesus redeems us from the effects of the curse. There is a hardness of life that we will continue to struggle against, but there is also joy and meaning that is found in Christ. The joy of the Lord is our strength. There is even some relief. Much of modern science, technology, and agriculture have developed through research institutions founded in the Name of Christ. A tremendous amount of relief for the world's suffering has been rendered through Christian agricultural missionaries. Life is still hard, but there is hope!
        In our modern world, the "painful toil" of the field may seem foreign to us. In many ways, life is easier or should be. Yet without the direction and redemption of Jesus Christ, life in the modern world can be just as exasperating and painful. Studies show that suicide actually increases significantly as socioeconomic levels increase in developing countries. Prosperity alone is not the answer. We need more than economic and agricultural relief to feel whole. We need Jesus.
            The Good News is that God has provided rich redemption for our lives, including the mundane aspects of day-to-day living. Jesus gives us a purpose that can be fulfilled in almost any vocation. We are freed to be in relationship with God and others! The Lord gives meaning to our work and the activities of life. The Lord gives us direction and inspiration in even the most mundane tasks. As the redeemed, we are aware that we fit into a much bigger plan even if we do not see the immediate purpose of our day-to-day efforts. We look forward with hope to the final day of redemption and reconciliation.
             How is your work? How are your days? How is the labor of your days? Are you working under a curse? You need not. Receive the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ to redeem you. Ask Him to redeem your work. Ask Him to transform your purpose. Ask His direction for the day.

        Lord God, thank You for the redemption I have found in Your Son Jesus. Thank You for redeeming me from the meaningless and painful toil of life. Thank You for giving me direction and inspiration. Thank You for giving my days purpose in Your plan. I give You this day which You have given to me. Guide me today. Open my eyes to Your plan and destiny. In Jesus' Name.

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© Jeffrey D. Hoy 2022
Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy - Faith Fellowship Church (EFCA)        
2820 Business Center Blvd.
Melbourne, Florida 32940 (321)-259-7200
Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com
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The Words of Faith devotion is published five days a week by E-mail, excluding Federal holidays. Please feel free to forward this devotion to a friend who might be blessed by this devotion. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture is quoted from the New International Version (R) of The Holy Bible. Copyright (c) 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved. Words of Faith (c) 1997, 2022 Jeffrey D. Hoy. All rights reserved. Permission is granted to forward this copyrighted material or use portions of it with appropriate notation of the source for non-profit purposes.