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ABIDE WITH ME!
And the LORD God planted a garden eastward in Eden; and there he put the man whom he had formed. Gen 2:8;
And the LORD God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it.Gen 2:15;
The downfall of the first man, Adam, began long before he and his wife (Eve) ate the forbidden fruit. The downfall of Adam actually started when he was comfortable to receive God only as a visitor to the Garden of Eden. The scripture makes us to understand that God planted a beautiful garden eastward in Eden and equipped it with all good things and treasures of life. After planting and furnishing the Garden of Eden, God handed it over to Adam to “dress and to keep it”. By handing over the “keys of control” of the Garden to Adam, God clearly demonstrated that he (Adam) was totally in charge and fully in control of all the affairs within the garden and its contents. Because the Garden of Eden was now fully under the control of Adam, the scripture makes us to understand that God only came to pay visit to Adam in the cool of the day, most probably because He needed to respect the fact that the Garden of Eden was now under Adam’s control. This was the beginning of Adam’s problems and downfall.
The major reason and motivation for creation of man is fellowship, companionship and communion with God. God made man basically to have fellowship and communion with Him, and that’s why it’s really surprising that Adam would be comfortable with God only paying visits to the Garden in the cool of the day. Based on the major reason for man’s creation, I feel it was God’s burning desire and silent longing to make His abode with Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, and make His manifest presence abide permanently with them. However, it appears Adam and Eve were simply comfortable with God being only a Visitor to their Garden. Unfortunately, the devil saw this gap and took immediate advantage.
I have always held the opinion that the reason the serpent (satan) had a chance and succeeded in deceiving Eve was because she was alone without Adam her husband with her in the garden, but I have now come to the understanding that the reason the serpent succeeded in making Eve to fall was because the time he went was not the visiting time of God. Can you imagine the devil showing up to deceive Eve and Adam the same time (cool of the day) he knew God would be visiting them? Of course, we don’t need a Prophet to tell us that the serpent (satan) would never have a chance of succeeding if God was around. That exactly was the problem, the devil had a chance because God was coming only as a Visitor, He wasn’t residing or abiding permanently with Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden.
Let’s consider this: if God were to be around, or His manifest presence was permanently residing with Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, would there be any room for Eve to entertain or have any spare time to attend to the serpent that deceived her? If God were to be around, and Eve was lost in deep conversation, tete – a – tete or interactions with Him, would there ever be a window to accommodate the unsolicited visitor in person of the serpent? If God were to be on ground on the day the serpent came to deceive Eve, I dare to say that the serpent would never be comfortable to show up or come around the garden in the first place. The devil obviously didn’t force his ways into the Garden of Eden, he came at a time he knew he would have free access in the garden.
It is unfortunate that a lot of people are still comfortable with God being a visitor only in their lives and affairs. Surprisingly, if anyone is comfortable with God being a visitor only, God will never push beyond the boundaries set for Him; God’s Spirit will not always strive with man. The fact that God was coming only as a Visitor to the Garden of Eden, gave the devil an ample opportunity to strike Eve and Adam. This is what usually happens when we are comfortable with God being only a visitor in our lives and affairs.
There’s a great danger anywhere or any life in which God is only a Visitor. A lot of us fail, fall, and are defeated in life, not because the devil is strong or powerful, but because we lack the abiding presence of God. Someone once said “what makes you weak and helpless is not the presence of the devil, but the absence of God” how true! Those who are wise will always long for, and desire God to abide permanently with them and never come as a Visitor. We must totally yield our hearts and prepare a room in our hearts for God and God alone. We need to remember that God is actually the Landlord of heaven and earth, the Possessor of all things. It is to our detriment and danger if God is not fully in charge.
“And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself.
The downfall of the first man, Adam, began long before he and his wife (Eve) ate the forbidden fruit. The downfall of Adam actually started when he was comfortable to receive God only as a visitor to the Garden of Eden. The scripture makes us to understand that God planted a beautiful garden eastward in Eden and equipped it with all good things and treasures of life. After planting and furnishing the Garden of Eden, God handed it over to Adam to “dress and to keep it”. By handing over the “keys of control” of the Garden to Adam, God clearly demonstrated that he (Adam) was totally in charge and fully in control of all the affairs within the garden and its contents. Because the Garden of Eden was now fully under the control of Adam, the scripture makes us to understand that God only came to pay visit to Adam in the cool of the day, most probably because He needed to respect the fact that the Garden of Eden was now under Adam’s control. This was the beginning of Adam’s problems and downfall.
The major reason and motivation for creation of man is fellowship, companionship and communion with God. God made man basically to have fellowship and communion with Him, and that’s why it’s really surprising that Adam would be comfortable with God only paying visits to the Garden in the cool of the day. Based on the major reason for man’s creation, I feel it was God’s burning desire and silent longing to make His abode with Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, and make His manifest presence abide permanently with them. However, it appears Adam and Eve were simply comfortable with God being only a Visitor to their Garden. Unfortunately, the devil saw this gap and took immediate advantage.
I have always held the opinion that the reason the serpent (satan) had a chance and succeeded in deceiving Eve was because she was alone without Adam her husband with her in the garden, but I have now come to the understanding that the reason the serpent succeeded in making Eve to fall was because the time he went was not the visiting time of God. Can you imagine the devil showing up to deceive Eve and Adam the same time (cool of the day) he knew God would be visiting them? Of course, we don’t need a Prophet to tell us that the serpent (satan) would never have a chance of succeeding if God was around. That exactly was the problem, the devil had a chance because God was coming only as a Visitor, He wasn’t residing or abiding permanently with Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden.
Let’s consider this: if God were to be around, or His manifest presence was permanently residing with Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, would there be any room for Eve to entertain or have any spare time to attend to the serpent that deceived her? If God were to be around, and Eve was lost in deep conversation, tete – a – tete or interactions with Him, would there ever be a window to accommodate the unsolicited visitor in person of the serpent? If God were to be on ground on the day the serpent came to deceive Eve, I dare to say that the serpent would never be comfortable to show up or come around the garden in the first place. The devil obviously didn’t force his ways into the Garden of Eden, he came at a time he knew he would have free access in the garden.
It is unfortunate that a lot of people are still comfortable with God being a visitor only in their lives and affairs. Surprisingly, if anyone is comfortable with God being a visitor only, God will never push beyond the boundaries set for Him; God’s Spirit will not always strive with man. The fact that God was coming only as a Visitor to the Garden of Eden, gave the devil an ample opportunity to strike Eve and Adam. This is what usually happens when we are comfortable with God being only a visitor in our lives and affairs.
There’s a great danger anywhere or any life in which God is only a Visitor. A lot of us fail, fall, and are defeated in life, not because the devil is strong or powerful, but because we lack the abiding presence of God. Someone once said “what makes you weak and helpless is not the presence of the devil, but the absence of God” how true! Those who are wise will always long for, and desire God to abide permanently with them and never come as a Visitor. We must totally yield our hearts and prepare a room in our hearts for God and God alone. We need to remember that God is actually the Landlord of heaven and earth, the Possessor of all things. It is to our detriment and danger if God is not fully in charge.
“And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself.
And they drew nigh unto the village, whither they went: and he made as though he would have gone further.
But they constrained him, saying, Abide with us: for it is toward evening, and the day is far spent. And he went in to tarry with them”. Luke 24:27-29;
From the above scriptures, we can see that the LORD will always “make as though He would have gone further” because He needs to know if our hearts are genuinely longing for Him. The joy and excitement in any vibrant relationship is to feel wanted, God is too precious to push Himself on anyone. God is not cheap! Those who know the importance of His presence will never allow Him to go; those who know the value of His abiding presence will always constraint Him to tarry. The earnest desire and cry of those who know that they are miserable without God is “Abide with me”; the silent plea and loudest cry of those who realize that the presence of God is more important than every other thing in life is “Abide with me”; the genuine cry from a longing heart that will never be satisfied with God paying only a visit is always “Abide with me”!
When the presence of God is with us, temptations lose their powers; when the presence of God is around us, darkness can never find expression. God’s presence is all we need; God’s abiding presence is what we should always desire; there’s nothing that can ever be compared with the joy of His presence. This is why we must always seek God’s presence and NOT God’s presents! It’s hi-time we changed our focus in life to the most important thing. God’s abiding presence is all we need. No one can truly become all that he or she is designed to be without immersion in the presence of God. The only room in our life must be for God; the only space in our life must be dedicated to Him. The only reason we live is God, God is the only reason we live!
God is still looking for hearts that will truly long after Him and He alone! ABIDE WITH ME!
Shalom!
Ezekiel Olukolajo
From the above scriptures, we can see that the LORD will always “make as though He would have gone further” because He needs to know if our hearts are genuinely longing for Him. The joy and excitement in any vibrant relationship is to feel wanted, God is too precious to push Himself on anyone. God is not cheap! Those who know the importance of His presence will never allow Him to go; those who know the value of His abiding presence will always constraint Him to tarry. The earnest desire and cry of those who know that they are miserable without God is “Abide with me”; the silent plea and loudest cry of those who realize that the presence of God is more important than every other thing in life is “Abide with me”; the genuine cry from a longing heart that will never be satisfied with God paying only a visit is always “Abide with me”!
When the presence of God is with us, temptations lose their powers; when the presence of God is around us, darkness can never find expression. God’s presence is all we need; God’s abiding presence is what we should always desire; there’s nothing that can ever be compared with the joy of His presence. This is why we must always seek God’s presence and NOT God’s presents! It’s hi-time we changed our focus in life to the most important thing. God’s abiding presence is all we need. No one can truly become all that he or she is designed to be without immersion in the presence of God. The only room in our life must be for God; the only space in our life must be dedicated to Him. The only reason we live is God, God is the only reason we live!
God is still looking for hearts that will truly long after Him and He alone! ABIDE WITH ME!
Shalom!
Ezekiel Olukolajo
© October 2020
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