God's Garden - Pt. 2

 

When no bush of the field was yet in the land and no small plant of the field had yet sprung up—for the LORD God had not caused it to rain on the land, and there was no man to work the ground, and a mist was going up from the land and was watering the whole face of the ground— then the LORD God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature. And the LORD God planted a garden in Eden, in the east, and there he put the man whom he had formed. And out of the ground the LORD God made to spring up every tree that is pleasant to the sight and good for food. (Genesis 2:5-9 ESV).

 

The cultivation and care for living, growing things is grounded deeply in the soul of who we are as created beings in God’s garden. In the beginning God planted us human beings in his perfect garden. Previous verses from the creation story make clear that God is the original gardener. He created the vegetation—seed-bearing plants, trees that have fruit with seeds, shrubs, and all kinds of trees. From the beginning, God intended this first garden to produce food for all kinds of creatures and humankind year after year. And, as the context of our reading goes on to explain, God planted people in that first garden “to work it and take care of it” (v. 15). This suits us because we are from God, created in his image to be like him, and we are also from the ground. We might even say that gardening, working and caring for growing things, is in our bones. Cultivating the gifts of God for the glory of God is what we are meant for.

 

Gardening involves cultivating, planting, watering, pruning, protecting, harvesting, and much more. When we are drawn to the world of soil, plants, and trees, it is no coincidence. We’re designed to care for the earth, other creatures, and each other. Cultivation is rooted in our beginning and continual thriving in God’s garden. We should also take care of the spiritual nature of our “garden.”

 

So much of the time we allow our lives to become cluttered with the “weeds” of worry, anxiety, envy, or anger. These emotions can be helpful if they point us to the ultimate Gardner and renew our trust in His plan and purpose for every experience or circumstance in our lives. Renew your commitment to trust God’s plan for your life. He has you placed just where you belong in this vast creation of His working everything to your good!