This article is written by Nita Wilkinson for the Deeply Rooted Devotional series. To submit a guest blog, click here.

It started out perfect. God created it simply by speaking. And His finest piece of that ideal world was to make humankind in His image. You see, God wanted a relationship with us. 

Adam and Eve were the first of man to be on the earth, and they have it made. They have a great place to live, fabulous food, and all their needs are met. What more could they want?

Ah, therein lies the battle. What more could they want? What more could we want?

In Genesis 3, a serpent makes his presence known to humans, and he is not all that he seems. He asks the right questions that easily take Eve down the path of disobedience or sin. They had three rules, be fruitful and multiply, have dominion over the animals, and don’t eat from that one tree. Life was good, life was simple and yet. . . 

God gave humankind all we need and more. Still, it wasn’t enough. 

We don’t need to lament their choice. We know it. We live it. This is the turning point for all of humanity, affirmed in the question God will ask. He asks them, “Where are you?”

Now you and I both know it’s obvious to God where they are. Essentially, He is asking, “What is your relationship with me? You are hiding; how can we be together if you are hiding?” 

He made us for a relationship with Him. It was His desire to have that relationship with us. Now that sin has entered the world, we can’t. God is Holy; He can’t be with sin. So, we are separated from Him, we are broken.

Let’s face it, if God isn’t holy and righteous, this is as far as the world would have gotten. If Adam and Eve were my kids, I would have said, “Enough! You ruined it for everybody! You can’t obey three simple rules, no world for anybody!” 

After that, I’m honestly not sure how things would go, because, well, I am human, and now I’m lost in my anger and humanity just eight or so days into making this really cool world. And I don’t have a plan. 

But God does! He has a redemption plan that is so connected to His love for us, it includes the sacrifice of His Son! Friends, aren’t you glad that God is holy and righteous? That He is a promise keeper who desires to be with us! And that He shows us divine mercy?

We see hope as God makes this promise:

And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.”

Genesis 3:15 NIV

We, unlike Adam and Eve and all the others He made those promises to, have access to all of God’s promises in His Word. Throughout the Bible, we see God weaving His redemption plan into a stunning tapestry of divine mercy, deeply rooted in His audacious love for us.

Let’s think of the Bible as an hourglass. The top of the hourglass is the first 11 chapters of Genesis, and we see God’s concern for the entire human race. In Chapter 12, we see another covenant, this time to Abraham, that will narrow the hourglass to God’s chosen people, Israel. And when Jesus is resurrected, we see God caring for the entire world again at the bottom of the glass. 

The whole Bible is God’s redemption plan, filled with promises, and yes, rules and offerings, and sacrifices, to set God’s people apart. These promises point to the ultimate sacrifice that will bind us to Him once again, the Messiah!

What burdens have the world put on you today? God has a book full of audacious love, unshaken mercy, and beautiful truth that will lead you away from the world and back to the One who chose to have a relationship with you!

Plant your roots in His word so deep that you can hear His voice and feel His presence.

Nita Wilkinson

Yes, humanity broke the world, more importantly, we broke our relationship with God. But He has a plan! Phase I culminated with Jesus’ resurrection and Phase II will be His complete victory! These are the promises He makes to us, in His book! These are the promises we can count on. 

Throughout the Bible, we see God weaving His redemption plan into a stunning tapestry of divine mercy, deeply rooted in His audacious love for us.

Nita Wilkinson