Redemptive Reach

Reach - To stretch out an arm in a specified direction in order to touch or grasp something.

You must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.’ The second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ No other commandment is greater than these.” Mark 12:30-31 NLT

Reaching for the creation over the creator will leave you chasing pleasure over purpose and ultimately missing on both.

The serpent was clever, more clever than any wild animal GOD had made. He spoke to the Woman: “Do I understand that God told you not to eat from any tree in the garden?” The Woman said to the serpent, “Not at all. We can eat from the trees in the garden. It’s only about the tree in the middle of the garden that God said, ‘Don’t eat from it; don’t even touch it or you’ll die.’” The serpent told the Woman, “You won’t die. God knows that the moment you eat from that tree, you’ll see what’s really going on. You’ll be just like God, knowing everything, ranging all the way from good to evil.” When the Woman saw that the tree looked like good eating and realized what she would get out of it, she’d know everything! She took and ate the fruit and then gave some to her husband, and he ate. Immediately the two of them did “see what’s really going on”, saw themselves naked! They sewed fig leaves together as makeshift clothes for themselves. Genesis 3:1-7 MSG

Sin will take you farther than you wanted to go, keep you longer than you wanted to stay, and cost you more than you wanted to pay.

When they heard the sound of GOD strolling in the garden in the evening breeze, the Man and his Wife hid in the trees of the garden, hid from GOD. Genesis 3:8 MSG

What choices have had you hiding from God?

GOD called to the Man: “Where are you?” He said, “I heard you in the garden and I was afraid because I was naked. And I hid.” GOD said, “Who told you that you were naked? Did you eat from that tree I told you not to eat from?” The Man said, “The Woman you gave me as a companion, she gave me fruit from the tree, and, yes, I ate it.” GOD said to the Woman, “What is this that you’ve done?” “The serpent seduced me,” she said, “and I ate.” Genesis 3:9-13 MSG

Our first response to a bad choice should be repentance not excuse or deflection. 

God has a habit of reaching out to us, so we can choose to reach back to Him. 

By the sweat of your brow will you have food to eat until you return to the ground from which you were made. For you were made from dust, and to dust you will return.” Genesis 3:19 NLT

I’m not saying that I have this all together, that I have it made. But I am well on my way, reaching out for Christ, who has so wondrously reached out for me. Friends, don’t get me wrong: By no means do I count myself an expert in all of this, but I’ve got my eye on the goal, where God is beckoning us onward to Jesus. I’m off and running, and I’m not turning back. Philippians 3:12-14 MSG

For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. 1 Corinthians 15:22 ESV

Let them praise the LORD for his great love and for the wonderful things he has done for them. For he satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things. Psalm 107:8-9 NLT

Fulfillment can only be found when we reach for the one who offers true contentment.

When someone has been given much, much will be required in return; and when someone has been entrusted with much, even more will be required. Luke 12:48 NLT