3rd October 2026

In The Garden

"The Lord God planted a garden eastward in Eden,

and there He put the man whom He had formed."

Genesis 2:8

In Genesis, we read of the garden of Eden, where Adam and Eve lived in perfect fellowship with God. There, the Lord "made every tree grow that is pleasant to the sight and good for food" (Genesis 2:9). We can easily imagine that perfect garden filled with beauty, fragrance and colour—perhaps even roses without a single thorn.

When Adam and Eve rebelled against God, everything changed. They were driven from Eden and had to cultivate the ground by hard labour. From then on, the earth would produce "thorns and thistles" (3:18), reminding them that sin had brought suffering, sorrow and death into God's perfect world.

Even so, God did not abandon His creation. In mercy, He clothed Adam and Eve (3:21), continued to provide for their needs, and left countless reminders of His goodness in the world around us. Every flower, every tree and every beautiful landscape bears witness to the Creator's wisdom and kindness (Romans 1:20).

However, the beauty of creation cannot remove the curse of sin, but it does point us to the God who has promised something far better. Through the Lord Jesus Christ, all who trust in Him have the sure hope of a new Heaven and a new Earth, where the curse will be gone forever. Until that day, every flower can remind us that God's grace still shines in a fallen world and that our best garden is yet to come.

Prayer: Dear God, thank You for the many reminders of You in Your creation. Thank You for beauty among thorns. I praise You in my Saviour's name. Amen.