DRESS IT AND KEEP IT
SONG
See me through, Lord Jesus, see me through
See me through, Lord Jesus, see me through
There's a race I must run, and there's a victory to be won.
Give me power every hour to be through.
TEXT:
"And the Lord God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it." (Genesis 2 verse 15).
The Bible says, "And the Lord God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it."
God has actually put us here on earth to dress and to keep it. We're to ensure that we do not allow it to degenerate in any way.
But this has not been the case. Untold and despicable havoc has been brought upon the earth by man, to whom God has given the responsibility to dress it.
It all started with Adam. His disobedience of God's Word brought curse upon the earth with tremendous impact on the welfare of all that lives in the earth, including man himself.
There is a great lesson for us to learn here. Disobedience to the Word of God will bring a damning curse upon the land for man's sake as it was with Adam; and this was with serious consequences for him and the generations after him, including us (Genesis 3:17).
It follows therefore that to keep and to maintain the land that the Lord has given to us to inhabit, we must obey Him and live according to His Word.
In the book of Matthew.5 verse 13, the Bible says,
"Let me tell you why you are here. You're here to be salt-seasoning, which brings out the God-flavors of this earth. If you lose your saltiness, how will people taste godliness? You've lost your usefulness and will end up in the garbage.” [The Message Bible]
Salt is a preservative. Our lives on the earth serve as preservatives to hold the earth in check from decaying.
We are called to preserve the moral and spiritual integrity of the world by living out God's truth. We hold the earth in check so that God's mercy will be made manifest. When our presence is no longer felt, corruption and wickedness will be everywhere. In Matthew 5 verse 14, the Message translation reiterates further saying,
"Here's another way to put it: You're here to be light, bringing out the God-colors in the world. God is not a secret to be kept. We're going public with this, as public as a city on a hill."
Of course, Light dispels darkness, and as followers of Christ, we are called to shine His light in a world that is filled with darkness. Our actions, words, and attitudes should reflect the Light of Christ, drawing others to Him.
When we duly carry out our God given responsibilities, our land will be free from evil, and it will yield a great increase for our pleasure.
I encourage everyone reading our devotional this morning to take heed to God's Word, giving your life to Jesus Christ, and working according to His precepts. Then, the seemingly barren or polluted land upon which you are living will turn out to be fruitful and blessed, in Jesus name.
Think about how you have lived your life in the past; see if you have polluted the land in any way, repent and call on God for forgiveness so that you will receive His mercy.
PRAYER:
Merciful God, we come to You this morning, pleading for mercy upon our land. In any way, we have polluted the land, let the blood of Your son wash us and our land clean, in Jesus Mighty name.