The Gardens

Genesis 2:8-9 – Now the Lord God had planted a garden in the east, in Eden; and there he put the man he had formed. And the Lord God made all kinds of trees grow out of the ground — trees that were pleasing to the eye and good for food. In the middle of the garden were the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. (NIV)

The other day I set out to go through the garden, plucking out the weeds and plants that had spread too far. The season thus far had been rainy and wet. The weeds were easily removed but at the same time the flowers tended to be a little soggy. They were lacking the warmth and light of the sun. I was tentatively tending the garden when I sat on the bench to look it over.

I thought of the first garden that our Lord made for us, the garden of Eden, where everything was perfect. God chose man to look after it. He gave only one command and that was not to eat of the tree of knowledge, for if he did he would know good and evil.

In no time, man was led by Satan to evil and plucked the fruit that gained him his own downfall. He continued in his evil ways, until God destroyed almost all He had made by a flood. Afterwards, God promised never to repeat the destruction of man in this way again.

Then I thought about the garden of Gethsemane, where God's own son Jesus suffered the anguish of taking the bitter cup for our salvation and from there He proceeded to the cross, to suffer and die for us.

These were the gardens. One was filled with beauty and the other filled with hope.

My garden is far from perfect, but as I tend to its needs, I think of how God, over the centuries, has tended to us and our needs. We should have been plucked out and thrown away forever. Instead, He gave us the warmth of His love and the light of His world; He made a home for us in His eternal garden, set aside for those who have blossomed out and grown in the light of His word. This garden prepared for us is eternal and everlasting.

Prayer: Lord God, You are the perfect and Holy one. You have given to us the greatest of love and nourished us when we needed your tenderness. You have brought each one of us to the throne of your grace and blessed us. Praise be to You, O Lord, our strength in our times of need. Amen.

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