"The Weekly Word"

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  And the Lord God planted a garden in Eden in the East, and there he put the man he had formed. Genesis 2:8

          We started in such a beautiful place. The beauty of the earth I’m sure in the time of Adam and Eve was stunning. Think about it. Things were so pure, so fresh, so clean. Perhaps the sun gleamed and the trees in the garden showed, and the branches must have provided such cool shelter. I imagine the fresh air so refreshing and the streams of living water at the time so replenishing.

          And then I think of humanity, and how we in our finite selves and actions have tarnished that beauty. I mean, why did God have to bring Adam and Eve along and mess it all up? Why make this picture of beauty more complicated and sophisticated? That is one of the questions I’d like to ask God when I get to heaven.

          Well friends, my best guess on this is God would tell me something like this, I needed something to oversee taking care of this creation. God needed humanity to maintain his creation, to keep the picture beautiful.

          And then I would come back to God, well, we’re not beautiful in many cases. We’re sinners, yet you continue to give us chance after chance.

          But God would have the last laugh by saying, yes, but I pray as you are growing in life, you look to me to help you in that growth.

          And there we are friends. Just as the streams flow, the trees grow, and the garden glimmers in the sun and the grass grows in the ground and the flowers flourish in the field, so God is giving us chances to grow ourselves and one another.

          Just as God gives us dominion over his creation, he gives us the joy of helping each other grow in our garden of life together, so we can prepare to be in the ultimate garden of life in eternity.

          We need not think back to where it all began. But we can all harken back to when we first became aware of things. Where was your garden? Was it your home, a hospital, how about school, or maybe doing family activities? How about in church, where did you first meet God? God met you right from the beginning, but where did you first realize it was a two-way street?

          My Friends, God has formed us in gardens of opportunity and optimism, he provides us both hope for the journey and help along the way. God provides refreshment in the air and replenishment in the streams. And remember, right from the beginning what did God say about all this. It is good.

          That’s right! From the very beginning, everything was in fact good, it was beautiful, it was wonderful! So go ahead friends, dare to be in the garden, and trust the Lord somehow will make things very good for you, just as he has right from the beginning!

To God be the glory

Pastor Brandon