How Much God Loves Me ....A Must Read

I have come across believers who ask why God planted the tree of the knowledge of good and evil in the garden of Eden, if He truly loves man and knew that that could make man sin and fall. Some ask, "Did not God know that Adam and Eve would disobey and eat the forbidden fruit?" "If He knew(as He is omnipotent), why did He then put the tree of the knowledge of good and evil in the garden?" Now, I will answer these disturbed minds. It is a question of How Much God Loves Man.
The greatest act of how much God loves man is God putting man into tests or trial of faith. When God puts you in a situation which signals danger, death, sickness, or failure, you will begin to have a sense of limit, a sense of boundary. In other words, you will begin to have a sense that you can fall, a sense that you are not all powerful and all knowing (omnipotent). You will begin to have a sense that you are not God, you are only like God. Being like God and being God are two different things. This sense was what Satan lacked and began to equate himself to God, before he was banished from heaven. Lucifer became proud, because he did not have a sense of limit, a sense of boundary, a sense that he could fall. He then planned to exalt his throne above God. He eventually fell down.
Now, listen, God could have chosen not to put the tree of a forbidden fruit in the garden of Eden. But He puts the tree there, so as to show man his limit. He put the tree to tell man that he (man) is limited, he (man) has boundary. In other words, man is to know that He is not God who is unlimited, who cannot fall, who is not accountable to anyone. Now, the plan was that when man understands this fact, he will be cautious, he will be able to resist pride, unlike Lucifer. And then, man would be able to depend totally on God's power. These will give man a perfect safety tips from destruction and death.
When you don't understand this and then you begin to live carelessly or uncontrollably like Lucifer or Adam and Eve, the consequences that follow is to show you that He is God, you are not God that can be doing anyhow or doing things on your own, thereby making you to now have perfect safety tips from death and destruction. This perfect safety tips is the sense of limit, sense of boundary, sense that you can fall, sense that you cannot do anything without him, sense that you should depend totally on His power. Bible says let him that thinks he stands take heed. Bible also says "trust in the Lord with all your heart, do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him". Jesus also says you can do nothing without Him.
Now tell me, how much does a father loves his child? Is it by making everything rosy for the child, giving him everything he wants without telling the child what can kill or destroy him and all the things he is enjoying. Obviously No. How much a father loves his child is by giving the child a sense of limit, a sense of boundary, a sense of what can make him lose those things he is enjoying from his father. For this will always ensure his safety, rather than just enjoying life without a sense of the bad side of life.
Now you know that God loves you very very much by putting you in tests and trials. These tests and trials are what give you a sense of limit, boundary and total dependence on God. The trial of your faith shows how much God loves you. That is why 1 Peter 1:7 says that "the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ"
God put the tree of forbidden fruit in Eden, so as to give Adam and Eve a sense of limit, a sense of boundary, a sense that they can fall, a sense of what can make them lose those things they were enjoying in the garden, a sense that they are accountable to God, a sense that they are not God who can do anyhow he likes. Unfortunately, Adam and Eve did not understand this, until after they were banished from the garden.

- Pastor Michael Seyi Babalola