A Place Called Home | Devotional
The lord god planted a garden in eden in the east, and there he placed the man he had made. Genesis 2:8
It is Difficult to be precise about the location of eden, but it is impor- tant to grasp that it was a real place.
The book of genesis is part of the revelation god gave to moses at mount Sinai, so when it says eden was “in the east,” we are talking about a location somewhere east of Sinai.
We are also told about four rivers (see genesis 2:10-14)—the Pishon and the gihon, which are not known to us, and the Tigris and the euphrates, which run through modern-day Iraq.
These landmarks do not give us an exact location, but we can have confidence that the lord planted a garden somewhere in this area of the middle east. What a garden it must have been!
The significant thing is that the lord put the man there. god created a particular place where adam would know and enjoy his blessing.
It is quite possible that god created adam outside the garden and then brought him to eden, saying, “This is the place I have prepared for you!”
I find it helpful to remember that god does the same thing for us. He has determined the exact places for us to live (see acts 17:26).
Try to imagine god walking with you into your home, saying, “This is where I want you to be,” or walking with you into your church, saying, “This is the place I have prepared for you to grow.”
The place where god puts you will not be perfect—even eden was exposed to the possibility of evil. But there is no better place to be than where god has set you down.
You are not where you are by accident, but by the plan and purpose of god. This is one of god’s greatest blessings to us. When we know, as adam did, that god has placed us where we are, we will find strength in the most difficult of times.
The significant thing is that the lord put the man there. god created a particular place where adam would know and enjoy his blessing.
It is quite possible that god created adam outside the garden and then brought him to eden, saying, “This is the place I have prepared for you!”
I find it helpful to remember that god does the same thing for us. He has determined the exact places for us to live (see acts 17:26).
Try to imagine god walking with you into your home, saying, “This is where I want you to be,” or walking with you into your church, saying, “This is the place I have prepared for you to grow.”
The place where god puts you will not be perfect—even eden was exposed to the possibility of evil. But there is no better place to be than where god has set you down.
You are not where you are by accident, but by the plan and purpose of god. This is one of god’s greatest blessings to us. When we know, as adam did, that god has placed us where we are, we will find strength in the most difficult of times.
Colin S. Smith
Colin Smith was born in Edinburgh, Scotland. He came to personal faith in Christ at the age of six, and sensed God's call to pastoral ministry early in life. He has published several books and is the teacher of the popular evangelistic video series, 10 Keys for Unlocking the Bible Story.