Thomas Edison invented the first practical electric light bulb. Jonas Salk developed an effective polio vaccine. Amy Carmichael penned many of the hymns we sing in worship. But what about you? Why were you put on earth? How will you invest your life?
Genesis 4 tells us that Eve “became pregnant and gave birth to Cain.” After holding Cain for the first time, Eve announced, “With the help of the Lord I have brought forth a man” (v. 1). In an effort to explain the surprising experience of the very first birth, Eve uses a phrase dripping with dependency on the sovereign aid of God: “With the help of the Lord.” Eventually, through Eve’s seed, God would provide rescue for His people through another Son (John 3:16). What a legacy!
Parenthood is just one of many ways people make lasting contributions to this world. Perhaps your offering will burst forth from a room where you write or knit or paint. You might be an example for another who is deprived of godly influence. Or your investment might even come after your death in ways you could never imagine. It may be the work you leave behind or your reputation for integrity in business. In any case, will your words echo Eve’s dependency on God? With the help of the Lord, what will you do for His honor?
How do you want to be remembered after you leave this world? In what ways will you seek God’s help to make that happen?
INSIGHT
In Genesis 4:1–2 we find fulfillment of two events stated earlier in the book. In 1:28 God blessed Adam and Eve and told them to “be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it.” The fact that Eve gave birth to Cain and Abel was the first sign that the blessing was still in effect.
The second fulfillment relates to God’s promise of a redeemer in 3:15. God told the serpent, “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.” God spoke this promise before there were children to fulfill it. Adam and Eve’s offspring made the ultimate offspring—Jesus—possible.