EDEN

God created man. He created a beautiful garden and placed man in it to tend and keep it.

And the LORD God planted a garden eastward in Eden; and there he put the man whom he had formed. And out of the ground made the LORD God 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 knowledge of good and evil- Genesis 2:8-9

The meaning of the Hebrew word, Eden is pleasure. Eden is more than a biblical location, it is an environment. It is being at the centre of God’s will for your life doing what He wants you to do.

It is quite awesome to see the great lengths God went to design a home for His creation. He provided everything essential for man’s wellbeing in the garden.

Now no shrub had yet appeared on the earth[a] and no plant had yet sprung up, for the Lord God had not sent rain on the earth and there was no one to work the ground,6 but streams[b] came up from the earth and watered the whole surface of the ground- Gen 2:5-6.

From our basic knowledge of plant physiology, we know that water is essential to their growth. Note that rain first came down on earth during the time of Noah so there was no rain when Eden existed. But God in His wisdom made provision for springs to burst forth from beneath to water the plants. God is intentional!! Even when it looks like there are no resources for that project or that vision, believe this, if God gave you the vision, He will fund it!

After creating this haven for man, God gave one instruction;

And the LORD God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die -Gen 2:16.

Simple right?

Well, we all know, man wasn’t successful in keeping that commandment.

Even in Eden, the tree of the knowledge of good and evil was present. The object which causes sin was not taken away, it was right in the garden. The serpent also found his way there, how he got there? I don’t know.

Just because you’re where God wants you to be, doing what He wants you to do doesn’t mean the enemy will not be poking his head. Oh! he’ll find a way to get you out of the garden. He’ll let you believe that his tree is better than all the other trees in God’s elaborate garden. He’ll sow a seed of doubt that will make you compare what you have with what someone else is enjoying.

Consecration is required. There are things we are not allowed to do in Eden. There are instructions to follow. Man’s fall was a breach of consecration. It starts when our discernment is so weak that even poison looks good.

God has a place prepared for us. If He placed a vision in your heart, He will fund it. Amid the blessings, don’t forget to stay consecrated, and be discerning, the serpent is on the loose. Your Eden will surely not be a serene garden with exotic plants and animals, it might be a classroom with screaming kids and open textbooks. It might be a hospital with patients struggling to survive. It might be a 9-5 job or full-time ministry.

Your job description might not be as easy as naming things as Adam had. The work may require a lot of physical or mental strength but Eden is still Eden. It is the presence of God you carry. That is the difference. You have to ensure that you make time to commune with God in the cool of the day. We don’t stop fellowshipping because we got a promotion. We stay fellowshipping to stay in that position and to advance from one level to another. As long as you’re there doing what He expects, He will back you. He will protect you.