Then God saw everything that He had made, and indeed it was very good. So the evening and the morning were the sixth day.

~Genesis 1:31 NKJV

Initially, God made the Garden good. He looked upon each day of His creation and pronounced it good. But when He got to humanity, He called them “very good.” These facts are so basic to our Christian worldview that we might overlook their significance.

Losing Our Way

Genesis is the foundation. When life gets messy, I’ve found God’s original intent an orienting truth for my thoughts, functioning like a scriptural compass. I believe its power lies in the revelation of God’s heart and purpose, which don’t change. When I submit my perspective to His, I see how He sees and I can agree with Him.

But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.

~Genesis 2:17 NKJV

Genesis also reminds us how the beauty of God’s creation fell, along with its stewards.  When evil’s accomplishments threaten to overwhelm my faith and hope, I remember nothing bad was ever our Father’s will. But because our ancestors yielded to the temptation to possess the knowledge of good and evil, that knowledge cursed them and us.

Instead of trusting God, we lost the perfect communion we had with Him. We tried our own way and found disaster. Now every person is born with the desire to be in charge. The power of sin tells us we can manage on our own. So we try.

Trying to Figure It Out

Trying to figure things out once felt like a strength to me. By getting enough information and wisdom to apply to my life, I could do things right—and be successful, happy, and satisfied.  

Even as a believer, I was often deceived. God says, “Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct your paths” (Proverbs 3:5-6 NKJV).

While it helps to have God’s Word in my heart and mind, I sin if I place faith in my own understanding and use that to direct my path. True wisdom involves letting go of my quest for understanding. Trusting the Lord means I choose to forsake the knowledge of good and evil.

Back to the Garden

Which brings us back to the trees in the Garden. God never intended us to be confused and confounded by too many choices. He never meant for us to be deceived, dependent on idols, or the victim of the enemy’s lies.  

If God never changes (and He does not), then He meant for all things to stay good. Although they are not presently, He remains on our side. We know this because He sent Jesus to set us free from the curse brought by Adam and Eve and to restore our lives to a relationship with Him.

Here is where the compass comes in. If it wasn’t in God’s Garden, it wasn’t His will for us. We don’t have to wonder how good He is, which means our confidence in prayer can soar.

If you find yourself dominated by problems God never intended for you, remember the heart in His original plan. Consider the lengths He went to in sending His Son to the cross and be thankful. Approach His throne with confidence. Ask, believing for what you need.

Let God bring you back to the goodness of the Garden.

Father, My situation is not Your will. So, I join my prayers with Jesus, asking for Your Kingdom to come and Your will to be done as You intended, even as it is in heaven. In Jesus’ victorious name I pray, amen

Genre: Non-fiction

Copyright 2024: God Made the Garden Good: Caroline Powers: All Rights Reserved