02-23-2025 What Do We Need?

Text: Genesis 2:8-18

                    As we look around at the world we live in, we can see that there are a lot of people that are confused about what they really need to make them happy and content.  That’s why so many spend their time and money gathering things that they believe will make them happy.  But as Mark tell us in chapter 8 and verse 36, What profit is there in gaining the whole world?  The truth is that no matter how much stuff we accumulate in an effort to satisfy what we think we need, when it’s time to leave this life and go on to the next, we will be going empty handed just as Paul tells us in I Timothy 6:7.

                   The truth is that our God knows each of our basic needs and will happily provide them for us.  Today, I want to take you back to the beginning of time to look at what those needs actually are.  Our text is from Genesis 2:8-18 which says:  (8)  And the Lord God planted a Garden eastward in Eden; and there He put the man whom He had formed.  (9) And out of the ground made the Lord God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, the Tree of Life also in the midst of the Garden, and the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil.  (10) And a river went out of Eden to water the Garden; and from thence it was parted and became into four heads.  (11) The name of the first is Pishon [believed to be the modern day Ganges River); that it is which compasses the whole land of Havilah [believed to be India today], where there is gold.  (12) And the gold of that land is good; there is bdellium and the onyx stone.  (13) And the name of the second river is Gihon [believed to be the Nile River]; the same is it that compasses the whole land of Ethiopia.  (14) And the name of the third river is Hiddekel [believed to be the Tigress River]:  that is, it which goes toward the east of Assyria.  And the fourth river is Euphrates.  (15) And the Lord God took the man and put him into the Garden of Eden to dress it and keep it.  (16) And the Lord God commanded the man, saying,  Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; (17) but of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, you shall not eat of it; for in the day that you eat thereof you shall surely die.  (18) And the Lord God said, it is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a help mate for him.”

                   We learn in verses 8-14 that we have a need for food.  Paul wrote in I Timothy 6:8 that if we have food and clothing we will be content.  We see how God placed His newly created man in a beautiful garden that held a wide variety of trees and plants for his diet.  But we also need spiritual food.  Afterall, Jesus said in Matthew 4:4 that we shall not live by bread alone but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.  Peter tells us in I Peter 2:2 that we must want the sincere milk of the Word.  So you see, our God has graciously provided food for the body and the soul.  Both of which are ours for the taking.

                   Verses 15-17 speaks of the need to be faithful to God.  He gave Adam the responsibility of taking care of the garden.  Like Adam, we all need responsibilities in life, and we need to work.  It’s through this path of duty and responsibility that we will find what makes us happy.  So, we should thank God for work and the strength to do it.  We are faithful to God when we study our Bible constantly so we can learn to obey His will for us. 

                   Finally, we see in verse 18 that we all have a need for fellowship.  God knew it’s not good for us to be alone.  God satisfied this need by creating a woman to be a mate for Adam.  And now he wouldn’t have to be alone.  This was the introduction of marriage which is the closest bond of our earthly life and the most blessed of all fellowship. 

                   In addition to our spouse, we also need the fellowship of other believers as we are told in Hebrews 10:25.  To ignore the need for Christian fellowship means giving up the encouragement, motivation, and help that we need from fellow believers.  When we spend time with those that share our beliefs, we are able to learn from them, refresh our faith, and strengthen our relationship with our Lord.                       As we get closer to the day of Christ’s return, we will face many spiritual struggles, and perhaps times of severe persecution as evil forces in the world grow in strength.  Difficulties, disillusionment, or busyness should never be excuses for missing a church service.  Instead, they should motivate us to make an even greater effort to be faithful in meeting with other believers and taking part in mutual encouragement that is found through them.

                   The Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil was not the cause of Adam’s fall.  The cause of Adam’s fall was a failure to listen to and obey the Word of God which to this day is the cause of every single human failure.  Adam’s act of disobeying God’s Word caused spiritual death and ultimately brought on physical death for all of mankind.  So, why would God put a tree in the garden then forbid Adam to eat from it?  It was because while God wanted Adam to obey Him, He also gave him the freedom to choose.  Without this freedom Adam, and the entire human race even to this day, would have been like a prisoner and his obedience would have been hollow.  Adam disobeyed in spite of God’s love and providing for all His needs. 

                   All the beauty and bounty of the Garden of Eden were provided to Adam by God.  Yet in spite of his ideal surroundings, Adam fell into sin.  Still today, people are falling into sin because they ignore God and search on their own for what will make them happy and content.  Every tree in the garden but one was available to Adam for food.  That one exception became Adam’s downfall.  We all face temptation and have to battle against it.  When it happens, we must focus on all that we have because of the sacrifice of Jesus.  When we do that, we will be able to successfully resist every temptation that we face.

                   The Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil was an exercise in choice with rewards for choosing to obey and serious consequences for choosing to disobey.  Each time we’re faced with a choice between right and wrong, God is giving us an opportunity to obey Him.  When thinking about how to choose, we must always think about the consequences of how choice to act.

                   Never forget that our God provides for our physical, spiritual, and social needs.  He has also provided a path to forgiveness for our sins and the opportunity for eternal life as He originally intended when He created Adam.  Because of His love for us, He wants to help each one of us through whatever problems we face every day.  Never be afraid to call on Him for help and then trust that He will give you the help, strength, and understanding that you need to make it through.  We must all open our hearts and minds to learn what He has to tell us then act accordingly.  As children of God, we are never alone, especially when we are dealing with things that seem to have no way to get past.

                    Until we meet again, may God bless and keep you, may He shine His light on you, show you grace, and give you peace in all the days ahead.