I"m Thankful for That!

During the month of November, many of my friends on Facebook are posting daily about things they are thankful for.  It's part of an "attitude of gratitude".  Even though I'm about a week behind in joining in with this theme, I'm joining in today.  Later today I'll be getting together with my "Bible Study Buddies" as we continue our study of the Book of Genesis.  I am SO thankful for these women.  So thankful to be able to gather around the kitchen table with our Bibles, our notebooks, our colored pencils, and talk about what we have learned in our week of "homework".  I am SO thankful for the FREEDOM to do this!  And I am so unspeakably grateful for the Word of God itself!  SO thankful that God has given us this written revelation of Himself!

Right now we're studying the first two chapters of Genesis, the creation account.  There's a lot of information in these two chapters about what God did and when He did it.  We're also introduced to Adam and Eve.  Let's think about Eve for a minute.  She's the first woman, the first wife, and as we see a few chapters later, the first mother.  That's a lot of "firsts"!  But I think we most often remember Eve for that incident in the garden with the serpent......the first sin, the incident we refer to as "the fall."

But rather than focus on what she did and why she did it, I'm focusing on what God did in response.  Yes, there were consequences for her choice (and Adam's as well).  But there is also God's provision for her.....and for Adam, and by extension for all of us....in the promise of Messiah (first found in Genesis 3).  He provided coverings for them.  And even though Adam and Eve were banished from the Garden of Eden, there was a place for them to live.  They weren't just "zapped" because they messed up.

Does that give you hope?  We often hear that God is a "God of second chances".  I don't know about you, but if I'm really honest, I have to admit that I often need more than a second chance.  I need a third chance, or a tenth chance, or.........  Living in a human body means we often make poor choices, we sometimes make the same mistakes over and over, we don't always "get it right".  The lesson I learn from Eve is that God knew that would be true, and He has made provision for us.  That He loves us anyway.  And I'm thankful for that!