The Garden

 Genesis 2: 8-17

“8 And the Lord God planted a garden in Eden, in the east; and there he put the man whom he had formed. 9 Out of the ground the Lord God made to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight and good for food, the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. 10 A river flows out of Eden to water the garden, and from there it divides and becomes four branches. 11 The name of the first is Pishon; it is the one that flows around the whole land of Havilah, where there is gold; 12 and the gold of that land is good; bdellium and onyx stone are there. 13 The name of the second river is Gihon; it is the one that flows around the whole land of Cush. 14 The name of the third river is Tigris, which flows east of Assyria. And the fourth river is the Euphrates. 15 The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to till it and keep it. 16 And the Lord God commanded the man, “You may freely eat of every tree of the garden; 17 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 die.”

God placed the first humans in a place specifically designed for them; a place where all of their needs were met.  They were also confronted with a choice; whether to obey God or disobey God.  

They were free to choose.

They chose to disobey Him.  And they were banished from Eden.

Although we are no longer living in the lush garden of Eden, God still offers us the abundance of His presence and His love.  And, God still presents us with the same choice of obedience.  

Each day we either choose to obey God or to disobey God.  

The choice is ours.

“Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do what I tell you? (Luke 6:46)

May the love of Christ be with you,

Rev. Eric Lanier (Retired)