Genesis 2:16-17, "And the LORD God commanded the man, ‘You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.'" Romans 3:23, "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God."

Think

Imagine if you were handed a bowl of 1000 M&M's and knew that just ONE of those M&M's contained a life-threatening poison. You wouldn't think twice about tossing them all away! Similarly, our lives have been anything but normal lately with this world-wide pandemic caused by ONE germ. Even just ONE can be powerful! Now, picture life in paradise. A place with no sickness, pain, or shame. That was Adam and Eve's normal as they lived in a perfectly created garden and in total harmony with God. They could eat from any tree in the garden, except for ONE, the tree of knowledge of good and evil that God explicitly warned Adam was forbidden. Now, enter the age-old tempter, Satan. He deceived Eve, saying, "God is holding out on you! Just take one little bite..." Adam and Eve defied God's command and that ONE sin changed the world forever. The consequence of their sin was immediate - they were suddenly ashamed of their nakedness and tried to hide from God. Sin severed the once-perfect relationship between God and man. Just ONE sin infected the entire human race; we all share the same "sin-etic disorder." God could have left us to fend for ourselves, but He didn't! In His awesome creativity, He devised a plan of salvation to save us from our sinfulness. All it takes is a ONE-TIME decision to accept Jesus into our hearts, and God will transform our lives into a thing of beauty!

Act

As you go to throw something away today, consider if it can be repurposed and used in a new way. Let it be a reminder that God didn't throw us away, but lovingly offered us the opportunity to reconcile our relationship with Him through Christ!

Pray

Lord, I stand before You in awe and adoration. I acknowledge that through Jesus' death on the cross, I am forgiven. Sin and Satan have no power over me because I'm made new in You. Help me to live for you ONE day at a time. Thank You, Lord! Amen.