Go Back Again

Have you ever felt tired, like you couldn't go on? Have you ever felt like you've done enough and there's nothing more to do? Even if you don't wave the red flag, have you mentally checked out? As a Christian, are you holding on to God's promises but wondering when you will see it play out in your life?

Holding on to a God who makes promises and keeps promises increases our faith.

After Adam and Eve disobeyed God, God spoke to Adam, Eve and the serpent (i.e. the devil).

Then the Lord God said to the serpent, “Because you have done this, you are cursed more than all animals, domestic and wild. You will crawl on your belly, groveling in the dust as long as you live.And I will cause hostility between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring. He will strike your head, and you will strike his heel.” Genesis 3: 14, 15 [NLT]

While speaking to the serpent - God said Eve's offspring will strike Satan's head. In a literal sense, Eve may be wondering,  "What does this mean?" "How will it happen?" "And why did I listen to the serpent?" Because at this point, Eve is now beginning to understand the power of God.

Then He said to the woman, “I will sharpen the pain of your pregnancy, and in pain you will give birth. And you will desire to control your husband, but he will rule over you.” Genesis 3:16 [NLT]

Subsequently, when she has Cain and Abel, she immediately understands what God is talking about because childbirth is not pain-free. But is she wondering how her offspring will rule over Satan's offspring? Perhaps. Raising children, and dealing with your husband can take up all of your time so this probably was not at the forefront of her mind. But then Cain kills Abel and he is cursed (Gen 4:15), and she may have wondered again. She only has one son left and his character is questionable; he is a murderer. Perhaps she remembers what God said of her as he spoke to the serpent.

Because... Adam had sexual relations with his wife again, and she gave birth to another son. She named him Seth, for she said, “God has granted me another son in place of Abel, whom Cain killed.” When Seth grew up, he had a son and named him Enosh. At that time, people first began to worship the Lord by name. Genesis 4:25,26 [NLT]

The promise of bruising the serpent's head would come through Seth. Eve could have lamented about her children's situation and stayed there, but she and Adam had Seth. Eve knew what God said about her offspring. Eve also knew that one of her sons was a murderer. Perhaps she held on to what she heard so long ago because when she had Seth she said God had granted her another son in place of Abel. The birth of Seth happened when Adam was 130 years old.(Genesis 5:3) One hundred and thirty years is a long time to wait for a promise to be fulfilled. The birth of Seth may have been unexpected - but God's words aren't idle. It doesn't matter how long it took, it matters that it was fulfilled.

God's timing runs the spectrum from immediacy to long term which was played out in Eve's life. Childbirth made Eve realize that what God said was true. Knowing this she may have wondered about the timing of everything else that was said. She would never doubt God again.

Don't doubt God. If He said it, He will do it. If He said it about you to someone else, it will happen. However you become aware of what God said about you, believe it. Look at Eve, she believed what God said about her offspring because in Luke we read as part of the genealogy of Jesus: Seth was the son of Adam. Adam was the son of God. Luke 3:38 [NLT]

Though Eve did not live to see it, it was through Seth that her offspring would bruise the serpent's head and would defeat Satan - Jesus came through the lineage of Seth. Don't doubt God and don't give up on God.


Are you holding on to a promise made by God? Keep holding on.


This post is inspired by a message I heard.