Today’s scripture: Genesis 3 (NRSV) (The Message) (KJV) What might God be saying to me?
My thoughts (Kirsten Shaw):
Growing up, we didn’t read the Bible in my home. Heck, I don’t even know if we had one. And when I did finally get around to reading it, you have to know that having been raised by lesbian mothers, Genesis 3:16 left me with quite the marginalized and sour aftertaste. Even my Life Application Bible didn’t have a warm and fuzzy interpretation for my gender- and sexuality-affirming self. Harumph!
So, when I was asked to write a Be Still and Know about this passage, I reckoned it was God blessing me with another lesson to be learned. Yay me! After much prayer and pondering, here’s what I’ve decided:
The Old Testament was a bit heavy-handed on the punishment. One could argue that painful childbirth, desiring a husband, and/or being ruled by a husband could all fall under the umbrella of punishment for gnawing on that Granny Smith. Conversely, the New Testament is chock-full of grace and love. And, frankly, that’s the vision of God that pulled me to the Word and has kept me there ever since. As such, I hold steady knowing that, no matter how much I mess up or how much restricted produce I gobble, not only does God know every stumble I’m going to tumble through, but there’s already a built-in forgiveness policy in place.
Thought for the Day: Gracious God, thank you for blessing us with the medical technology to minimize the pain of childbirth. Guide us with intellectual-advancements to know that life is not about being punished, but rather to savor the reward of Your grace and love. Remind us that you are our ultimate Ruler.
We encourage you to include a time of prayer with this reading. If you need a place to get started, consider the suggestions on the How to Pray page.