Reflecting God – Embrace Holy Living - WordAction - The Foundry Publishing House of Kansas City, Missouri, United States - The Global Church of the Nazarene for Monday, 2 October 2017 "Looking For Loopholes" by Amy Crofford - Genesis 3:1-13

Reflecting God – Embrace Holy Living - WordAction - The Foundry Publishing House of Kansas City, Missouri, United States - The Global Church of the Nazarene for Monday, 2 October 2017 "Looking For Loopholes" by Amy Crofford - Genesis 3:1-13
Genesis 3:1 Now the serpent was more crafty than any wild animal which Adonai, God, had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You are not to eat from any tree in the garden’?” 2 The woman answered the serpent, “We may eat from the fruit of the trees of the garden, 3 but about the fruit of the tree in the middle of the garden God said, ‘You are neither to eat from it nor touch it, or you will die.’” 4 The serpent said to the woman, “It is not true that you will surely die; 5 because God knows that on the day you eat from it, your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” 6 When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it had a pleasing appearance and that the tree was desirable for making one wise, she took some of its fruit and ate. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her; and he ate. 7 Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized that they were naked. So they sewed fig leaves together to make themselves loincloths.
8 They heard the voice of Adonai, God, walking in the garden at the time of the evening breeze, so the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of Adonai, God, among the trees in the garden. 9 Adonai, God, called to the man, “Where are you?” 10 He answered, “I heard your voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked, so I hid myself.” 11 He said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree from which I ordered you not to eat?” 12 The man replied, “The woman you gave to be with me — she gave me fruit from the tree, and I ate.” 13 Adonai, God, said to the woman, “What is this you have done?” The woman answered, “The serpent tricked me, so I ate.”
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My sister and I were sitting in the lounge chair. It was the most comfortable seat in the house. We saw our father’s head as he passed by the front windows. We heard as he opened the front door and trudged into the house after a long day at work. My mother said, “Quick now, get out of the chair.” We refused. She continued, “Your name’s not on that chair. Move!” We did, but we put our heads together to figure out a solution to our problem.
The next day, we were back in the chair. When our mother told us to vacate it, we gleefully informed her that our names were indeed now on the chair. We pointed to the loopy signatures added earlier with ballpoint pen.
Love is not looking for a loophole; sin is. When we are rebellious, any little ambiguity will do. Satan will help us to distort clear meanings of messages from God in such a way that we deceive ourselves and feel justified to act in a way that we know is wrong. We sign the chair and laugh.
Hymn for Today:

"Wonderful Words of Life" by Philip P. Bliss
1. Sing them over again to me,
wonderful words of life;
let me more of their beauty see,
wonderful words of life;
words of life and beauty
teach me faith and duty. 
Refrain: Beautiful words, wonderful words,
wonderful words of life.
Beautiful words, wonderful words,
wonderful words of life. 
2. Christ, the blessed one, gives to all
wonderful words of life;
sinner, list to the loving call,
wonderful words of life;
all so freely given,
wooing us to heaven. 
Refrain: Beautiful words, wonderful words,
wonderful words of life.
Beautiful words, wonderful words,
wonderful words of life. 
3. Sweetly echo the gospel call,
wonderful words of life;
offer pardon and peace to all,
wonderful words of life;
Jesus, only Savior,
sanctify forever. 
Refrain: Beautiful words, wonderful words,
wonderful words of life.
Beautiful words, wonderful words,
wonderful words of life.  
Thought for Today:
Stay awake, and pray that you will not be put to the test — the spirit indeed is eager, but human nature is weak.”(Matthew 26:41}
Please pray:
That many young people in Haiti will be called into Christian ministry.
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