How about the ‘friend’ who talks you into doing something you know you shouldn’t be doing? Like, run the red light or stop sign. Or, no one will ever know if you cheat on … How about, I know it’s late, but just one more … Gossip, put-downs, bullying…

Rationalizing can get us into all kinds of trouble. And yes, both Adam and Eve started the whole ‘passing the buck’ thing: it’s not my fault; the other person made me do it. Some no’s are meant to be no.

Have you ever thought about the fact that Adam and Eve had everything? By God’s design, they had each other, the perfect home, great health, plentiful food and water, God’s presence… It wasn’t enough. It never is. There’s always something more, isn’t there?

That’s what that darn snake wanted them to think: that it wasn’t enough. That they could have more. That God doesn’t always know everything. In fact, the snake wanted to replace God in their thoughts and lives.

Now, here’s the thing. Any time we consider replacing God with anything, good or bad, there’s going to be a consequence. That’s what they didn’t take into account. The fruit looked good, smelled good, probably even tasted good.  But God had said no!

Can you imagine the scene when they heard God walking in the garden that evening? He was looking for them. He wanted to talk to them. So, here’s the rub. It’s impossible to hide from God. He knows where you are, always. He knew where Adam and Eve were, but He wanted them to come to Him.

And they did, dressed in leaves. “What have you done?” God asked. Adam said, “She made me do it.” Eve said, “The snake made me do it.” The snake snickered at the whole thing.

You know the rest of the story, right? Adam would have to work for all the things that had been, and would be, his. Eve would have painful births. Both were banished from the garden.

But God knew the rest of the story. He knew about the cross, the nails, the horror that His Beloved Son would face. He knew, and He loved us more.

Have you ever stopped to think about God’s approach to us when we fail Him? We hide behind our excuses, our shame, and sometimes even our pride. We know we’ve fallen short, and we wonder how we can stand before Him.

He approaches us with His love that never wavers. He relentlessly searches in the shadows even when we want to remain hidden.

The words of a song I once sang often come back into my mind: “Do you still feel the nails, every time I fail.” I know that Jesus’ sacrifice was complete – given once for all, never to be repeated. I need to be reminded by the cross of just how far God was willing to go to bring us back to Himself.

God draws near to us not because our failures don’t matter, but because we matter deeply to Him. What a difference that makes—and what comfort there is in knowing we’re loved even in our hardest moments.

I am joining a great group of Christian writers at 5-Minute Friday. We write for 5 minutes each Friday (sometimes longer). You can read the other writers’ posts and share your own here: https://fiveminutefriday.com