Text: Genesis 2:9-14
We have already seen that God commanded man to work the garden and make it flourish. But our passage for today shows that God has already done the work of planting and growing. As Jesus said, the farmer scatters the seed, but he does not know how the seed sprouts and grows (Mark 4:27). It is by God’s hand. Man takes care and maintains the work that God has already done.

We have responsibility, but no ability, no power to make anything grow. It is all from God, even our strength to do anything. This does not mean that our efforts are worthless. This is all by God’s design, and we should participate
gladly, worshipfully.

This is very much like our salvation. Jesus did absolutely everything that is necessary for our salvation: He accomplished perfect righteousness; He paid the death penalty for His people’s sin; He broke the power of death; He
intercedes to the Father for us. It was a day like today, Easter Sunday, when Jesus Christ resurrected from the dead! He conquered the power of sin and death! Hallelujah! There is nothing we need to add to that, absolutely nothing.

But God still requires that we “maintain” our salvation through the “means of grace”, such as reading His Word, praying, worshipping with God’s people, etc. This maintenance might feel like our strength, and sometimes it is very
difficult. But everything we do in our spiritual life is enabled by God’s strength (Phil.2:13). Whatever you do, do it as worship, do it in service to God.

Meditate on verse 9. What is God teaching you in this verse?
Father, in heaven, in the name of Jesus Christ, thank You for putting every thing in place for me to care for and enjoy. Father, thank You for resurrecting Jesus Christ, for in Him I have the eternal life. Amen.

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