We picked our Peaches and Cream corn and started shucking. The corn was ripe for harvesting but we weren’t the only ones ready for this garden goodness. We found a few fat earworms nibbling on the tips of the corn and little black flea beetles were starting to invade. Pests are present even in well-tended gardens.

Only one pest-free garden existed-The Garden of Eden. Every perfect fruit could be plucked from trees and eaten with no worms or bugs. God provided Adam and Eve with a perfect place to live, eat, and enjoy. But He had one command:            

And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest  freely eat:

But of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die. Genesis 2:16-17

Adam and Eve knew God’s order, but they had an enemy. Satan reared his evil head disguised as a serpent. He conversed with Eve. Satan’s subtle lie penetrated her mind and she was deceived. Eve remembered God’s instruction to not eat of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil yet she listened to Satan’s lie:

“Ye shall not surely die: For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil. (Genesis 3:4b-5.

Eve saw the fruit looked good and she desired to be wise, so she ate the forbidden fruit. She gave the fruit to Adam who ate and their eyes were opened to good and evil. It was then they became aware of their nakedness. God dealt with Adam, Eve, and the serpent’s sins. Death is certain, childbirth is laborious, and serpents crawl on their bellies. Though God covered their nakedness with sacrificed animal skins, He dealt with sin then and He deals with sin now.

We have all sinned (Romans 3:23) and God forbids sin (I John 2:1). God knows we are depraved sinners so He manifested His goodness to ensure our saving from sin and punishment in Hell. He offered His only Begotten Son Jesus to appease His wrathful punishment for sinners. Jesus was trustworthy and sinless so he was the only sacrifice fit to cover our sins. His interest in us ensures our home in Heaven when we surrender to His Lordship.

We live in a sin-cursed world where thorns, thistles, pests, and weeds are dealt with as we sweat, till, and harvest our food. Our garden harvest is good, but God’s goodness is best. Like Eve we will hear Satan’s lies. He no longer appears in the form of a serpent, but he does appear in many forms: media, movies, counterculture, clubs, people, parades, and places. Beware, Satan knows no goodness but you can believe God is good.

Good and upright is the LORD: therefore will he teach sinners in the way. Psalm 25:8