Lessons from Eden

I've always been fascinated with history, especially ancient history. Perhaps this is why I've always been an interested Old Testament student. One of the greatest and most studied parts of the Old Testament is the story of Adam, Eve, and the Garden of Eden. You see, there is a unique connection between Eden and Heaven. When you read Genesis 2 you read something that is truly incredible and may be a preview of what we will experience on the New Earth in eternity. This "something" is God's intimate relationship with humanity. Do you sometimes feel that God is far away in this place that people call Heaven? In fact, he's so far away that he can't possible have any kind of relationship with you? After all, everyone knows that long distance relationships never work. This is not true. How can I know this? God has demonstrated his love and desire for relationship over and over. And it all started in Eden. First, God created a special place on the Earth for man to thrive both in his physical nature and in his realtionship with God himself. That place was Eden. Scripture tells us that it wasn't uncommon for God to walk in the garden in the "cool of the day" Genesis 3:8. Can you imagine what that was like for Adam and Eve? What makes it so incredible is that they didn't think it was incredible. God was their friend, father, companion, someone who wanted to be with them. Second, God cared for the couple. He tended to their physical and emotional needs as well as giving them purpose. Above all the creation, we as humans are given the task of managing it all. There is implicit trust in being given this task. I am humbled when I consider that God has entrusted me with the management of the Earth. As we well know, the garden experience ended for Adam and Eve. Their "fall" began a chain of events that has led to our present age. Interestingly it is this chain that is also pointing toward Heaven. Where once again God will prepare a special place where a resurrected humanity will thrive (the New Earth). He will once again walk with us in the cool of the day. He will care for us in ways that put the Eden experience to shame. And we will, finally, achieve the purpose for which we were created; to serve God without shame. We will be able to do this without the threat or corruption of sin. I can't wait, and we owe it all to the Lessons of Eden.

The point of the search

I struggle, like everyone else, with the "why's" of life. Often times I come up empty in my search. But I believe that I may have stumbled onto the greatest of the why's in our life. I believe that our lives here on earth are preparing us for the greater life we will live in Heaven. This is not just some shot in the dark dream, rather my understanding of the teachings of Jesus and scripture as a whole. If you stop and think about it, Heaven is the ultimate expression of God's love for humanity. It has the potential to change the way we view the world and those who live in it. It inspires us to glorify the God who resides there because he desires to be reunited with us in perfect fellowship. Heaven is also free of sin and is therefore the "undiscovered country" that our souls long to travel to. It is this sin free existence that motivates me to live more God centered in this life. I've also found that I look at people differently when I see them in the light of Heaven. They are seeking their paths just like me, on their way to one eternal destination or the other. There is also the "small" matter of the new earth that is spoken of numerous times in the book of Revelation. I understand that my life now prepares me for my life on the new earth. God is presenting me with opportunities for growth and wisdom on earth so that I can be prepared to serve my greater purpose (whatever that may be) in eternity. So, when I think that my eternal home just happens to also be the home of my savior as well as the creator of the universe, that can be quite a life changing thought. Don't you think?