Like Adam and Eve in Eden, we doubt God’s goodness and His provision in our lives. We are afraid we will miss out unless we take control of our situation. We have made our happiness, pleasure and freedom most important. And just like Adam and Eve, our sin exposes our desperate need of salvation from sin and ourselves, and shows our need for God’s grace. We see this need in Adam and Eve. We see it in Cain. We see it in Lamech (Genesis 4:23–24). We see it in generation after generation that died because of sin (Genesis 5). Only when we look to God as the ultimate source of security and significance can we be freed to live as we were meant to.

• What do you spend your first and best on? What gets priority when it comes to your time, talents, possessions and money?