prepared hearts

the fall of man

The serpent was clever, more clever than any wild animal God had made. He spoke to the Woman: "Do I understand that God told you not to eat from any tree in the garden?"

  The Woman said to the serpent, "Not at all. We can eat from the trees in the garden. It's only about the tree in the middle of the garden that God said, 'Don't eat from it; don't even touch it or you'll die.'"

 The serpent told the Woman, "You won't die. God knows that the moment you eat from that tree, you'll see what's really going on. You'll be just like God, knowing everything, ranging all the way from good to evil."

 When the Woman saw that the tree looked like good eating and realized what she would get out of it—she'd know everything!—she took and ate the fruit and then gave some to her husband, and he ate.

 Immediately the two of them did "see what's really going on"—saw themselves naked! They sewed fig leaves together as makeshift clothes for themselves.

 When they heard the sound of God strolling in the garden in the evening breeze, the Man and his Wife hid in the trees of the garden, hid from God.

God called to the Man: "Where are you?"

He said, "I heard you in the garden and I was afraid because I was naked. And I hid."

  God said, "Who told you you were naked? Did you eat from that tree I told you not to eat from?"

 The Man said, "The Woman you gave me as a companion, she gave me fruit from the tree, and, yes, I ate it."

   God said to the Woman, "What is this that you've done?"

  "The serpent seduced me," she said, "and I ate."
Genesis 3:1-13

From the outpouring of love the Creator has for His creation comes a shepherd to rescue one of His flock. My mind reels at the thought of the God of the universe...all stars and planets and power and mystery and love and life...calling to us "Where are you?"...now as a shepherd...grassy, dusty, clothed in linen, leather sandals, strong muscles, tangible...as he counts His sheep. He counts us and finds one missing. We are counted. The missing one is sought after with urgency. He doesn't want anything to happen to His lamb.

What do you think? If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go to look for the one that wandered off? And if he finds it, truly I tell you, he is happier about that one sheep than about the ninety-nine that did not wander off. In the same way your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should perish.

Matthew 18:12-14

Oh God, My God, desire of my heart. Truly you have sought me out and rescued me. My most desperate need has been met in your Son Jesus, whom you willingly gave and who willingly died because of your love for me. Thank you for searching after me, for finding me after I had gone astray.