In Genesis 2:15-17 we read, “The LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it. And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, “You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.” Adam and Eve could have their pick of EVERY tree in the garden, except that one – and what did they do? They allowed themselves to be tempted to the point of giving in and eating of that one tree! And with that one move – they ruined their lives and the lives of ALL mankind.
We could argue (and many people do) about why God put that tree there in the first place, and why did he allow them to be tempted by Satan, etc., etc., but none of that matters. God is God and He can do WHATEVER He wants to do – He doesn’t owe ANYONE an explanation. Psalm 115:3 reminds us, “our God is in the heavens; He does whatever He pleases.”
Too many times, we focus all of our attention on what we “can’t do” or what isn’t pleasing to God rather than just focusing on what is GOOD and RIGHT. Psalm 34:14 tells us, “Turn away from evil and do good” STOP focusing on what we’re not supposed to do. And STOP trying to justify or argue in favor of what is wrong. What the Bible says is wrong – is wrong. PERIOD!
And when God says “No” about anything, we simply have to do what He says. When we disobey God, we like Adam and Eve, ruin and destroy our lives, our future, and the lives of those around us. EVERY wrong action in our life has a profound effect on US and on THOSE AROUND us! We many times say “Oh, it won’t hurt…” and that’s the exact same thing that Eve thought when she gave into the temptation and took that bite of the forbidden fruit, taking it also to Adam. “It’s only a piece of fruit! What harm can it do?” However, look at ALL the wrong, the pain, the suffering that has been brought into our world by one little act of disobedience to God!
David had it right in Psalm 119:15, “I will meditate on your precepts, and fix my eyes on your ways.” Stop focusing on what we know is wrong, and focus on what is right!