Sunday, 3rd October 2021. The origins of distress and anxiety
Text: Genesis 3:17-24
When God made Adam and Eve, He gave them the responsibility of caring for the garden and the animals. God also gave one prohibition – “do not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil”. If they did, they would die (Gen.2:17). One day Satan tempted Eve to eat.
She did. Adam also ate. When they realized what they had done, they sewed some leaves together to hide their naked bodies, because they were feeling anxious and shameful about their nakedness. Then later that day, when the Lord entered the garden to meet with them, they
were extremely afraid. They knew they were about to die. However, God promised to send a Saviour.
This is how problems and anxieties entered human existence. But when the Saviour, Jesus Christ, came into the world, He secured eternal life, in which there will be no problems or anxiety. Jesus succeeded in obeying God’s law perfectly. On the cross, He paid the death penalty for His people’s sin. He broke the power of death, when He was raised.
Even though we still experience distress and anxiety in this life, for the believer, problems are only in this life, not in the life to come. For unbelievers, problems and anxiety are forever, they will never end.
Because Jesus ended the sources of distress, He will end your distress and anxiety. Spend time with Him in prayer and rest on His completed work and promises.
Meditated on verse 17. What is God teaching you in this verse?
Heavenly Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, I pray that Your presence
never departs from me, in this cursed world. Amen.
