Promise 13 Gen. 4:4

"Abel, on his part also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of their fat portions. And the Lord had regard for Abel and for his offering." The reason God had favour for Abel over Cain is because Abel brought to Him his 1st fruits, where as Cain brought his leftovers. I think of how often I give to God my leftovers instead of the 1st fruits of my attention, devotion, time and service. God is a God who deserves our whole being, not just the leftovers. The promise here is that He will bless those who give Him their very best. Thank You, Lord!

Promise 12 Gen. 3:19

Gen. 3:19 - "By the sweat of your face you will eat bread, till you return to the ground, because from it you were taken. For you are dust, and to dust you shall return." Even though this verse is God's punishment to Adam, there is a promise in it. When we work, we shall be rewarded. Nothing bothers me more than seeing people soak off the social system. I know grown men who wont lift a finger to provide for their families (they have no mental or physical illness that would prevent them from working, they are not trying at all to find work either). It doesn't bother them at all that they have to beg for food. God rewards those who help themselves. From the beginning of the fall we were made and expected to work. Even before the fall, Adam was to keep the garden and to cultivate it. That is who we are and should continue to be, working people. Or as an occupational therapist would put it, "Occupational Beings".

Promise 11 Gen. 3:16

Gen. 3:16 - "To the woman He said, 'I will greatly multiply your pain in childbirth, in pain you will bring forth children; yet your desire will be for your husband, and he will rule over you'." Children are wonderful things, yet often times they are not enough to satisfy the needs of women. I know so many women who are devastated because of a communication breakdown in their marriage or stress in their marriage. Children are nice but the are not as satisfying as a good relationship between husband and wife. God ordained it to be that way. Couples need to make sure their marriage is strong before they have children, then equally raise their children together. But most of all, the marriage should be priority in the household, not the children. If a marriage is strong then the marriage of their children will be strong as well.

Promise 10 Gen. 3:15

Gen. 3:15 - "And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed. He shall bruise you on the head, and you shall bruise him on the heel." Not all promises from God are pleasant. Satan found that out when God promised that he would be crushed. Many will give birth to the One who will crush the deceiver. That means for us that Jesus will rule over us, not Satan. Jesus will be stronger and is stronger than the enemy when we turn to Him. That is the promise we can embrace.

Promise 9 Gen. 2:18

Gen. 2:18 - "Then the Lord God said, 'It is not good for the man to be alone; I will make a helper suitable for Him'." Have you noticed that God's first attempt to finding a suitable helper for Adam was to create the animals and birds? When they fell short of satisfaction then Eve was created. God, Himself said that it is not good for man to be alone, He will provide a helper, a companion, for each person. It may not be in the form of a husband or a wife, but the promise is; He will not keep us alone. (However a husband WOULD be nice! :-) )

Promise 8 Gen. 2:5b-6

Gen. 2:5b-6 - "For the Lord God had not sent rain upon the earth and there was no man to cultivate the ground. But a mist used to rise from the earth and water the whole surface of the ground." Often times we think we need to help God out so that we can see production. In our jobs we work harder, longer. In our gardens we furtilise more or use the latest, best plant food, in our studies we make more charts, more maps, more study cards, etc. We strive and strive to see success. God had not sent rain yet to the earth, but did the trees need a drip system put in by man, a well dug, a dam built in order to keep the trees alive? No, God, in all His greatness, in only ways that He can, created a mist to spring up from the earth so that the trees and land would have water. Man didn't need to do a thing, not even lift a finger (actually man wasn't even created at this point), there was no striving, no stress. God just did it! God promises and proves that He is in control, I'm having a feeling this will be an on-going theme we'll be seeing throughout this study, Stop striving and watch the mist rise up!

Promise 7 Gen. 2:3

Gen. 2:3 - "Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made." God blesses rest. It is interesting that the Bible doesn't say, "He blessed and sanctified all that He created." No, it says, that after all was done, He blessed and sanctified the 7th day, the resting day. Americans don't do well at this, actually in most of our western nations we don't do well at this. We consider it laziness if we stop and do nothing. When God blesses our rest that means He fills us up during that time so that we may be more productive and fruitful in our work. Then we may look back and see that "it was good." I don't know about you, but I'm up for looking forward to a weekly blessing from God.