Bounties and Boundaries (Genesis 2)

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L O V I N G.

Jehovah Jireh (God Provides)

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—This is who our God is. Yet, He also expects obedience and respect from His special creations.

Initially, understanding Genesis chapter 2, made me noticed that when God commanded the land to produce all kinds of plants, the grain and fruit-bearing plants from Genesis 1 didn't immediately grow with fruits and grains. I used to believe ever since I was a kid, including the times when I read it without much thoughts (haha) that when God commanded for the land to produce all kinds of grain and fruit bearing plants, beautiful, colorful, and abundant scenery automatically appeared. Chapter 2 explains that no plants and seeds had sprouted because God had not sent any rain and there was no one to cultivate the land. Reflecting on this, I realized that God had already blessed the land with potential, but it required both divine action and human effort to finally fully make it grow and bear grains and fruits. Similarly, in our lives, God may have blessed us with gifts that need to be cultivated with our own efforts and His guidance to flourish. 

If you think He didn't, try to give yourself sometime to reflect and when you do, embrace and appreciate it. That's one important thing to fully make it shine. If you don't, it'll be like the third servant's talent in the Parable of Talents where, compared to the first and second servants' that were taken care of and so the values were doubled, was being hid and buried in the ground. The first two servants received awards but the third servant was punished and got kicked out by the master. What I am trying to imply is that if you don't identify and embrace or work out God's gift, it would be a waste. You can make the best out of it and God's blessings will follow.

This ties back to my realization from Chapter 1 about our purposeful existence; we must recognize and nurture the gifts God has given us to fulfill our purpose. Just as man was given dominion over all living creatures and tasked with bringing the Earth under control, God provided all kinds of grain and fruit for sustenance, but rain and human cultivation were necessary for them to grow. But then, my heart was delighted upon realizing that despite these conditions, it is shown in this chapter that we have a loving and caring God. True! He manifested His pure love and care to His special creation by sheltering him in the Garden of Eden, where all kinds of beautiful trees already grew and produced good fruit bountifully. God didn't even let man live alone! Seeing that he needed a companion, He created woman. Although He tried to find a suitable companion among the birds and animals He created from the ground, none were suitable. Thus, He made the man fall into sleep, took out one of his ribs, and closed his flesh to form a woman from the man's own rib. When He brought her to him, the man was happy and relieved. God truly knows what is best for us and wants only the best for us. 

The Garden of Eden vividly portrays God's immense love and care for humanity. It was a place where God abundantly provided for Adam with bountiful trees and a harmonious environment. However, within this provision, there was also a clear boundary set by God—the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. This tree served as a symbolic limitation, signifying that even in His generosity, God expects obedience and respect from His special creations.

Don't forget to read your Bible and pray everyday!