May 18, 2026:

GOD’S WORD FOR TODAY:

“After He drove the man out, He placed on the east side of the Garden of Eden cherubim and a flaming sword flashing back and forth to guard the way to the tree of life.’”

(Genesis 3.22)

TODAY’S REFLECTION ON GOD’S WORD:

Imagine you could never go home. God had made a special place for Adam (and Eve) custom made. This is the beauty of the story of God’s Creation. All of the universe just for them. When we pause at night at look at the sky to see the myriad of celestial objects, it is just for us. Stars, planets, moon, nebulae, galaxies, quasars, black holes, even the dark matter is all for us. And the possibility of life in any of those places could exist. There is no sense in trying to debate it. Regardless of whether there is or isn’t doesn’t change the fact of the purpose of the descendants of Adam and Eve. They were created to steward, shepherd and cultivate the earth and maintain it for God’s glory. They could use what was needed to maintain themselves as “daily bread” and on the seventh day truly nurture their connection to God their creator. They just didn’t happen. They were no accident. Creation wasn’t an accident. The ordering of chaos was purposeful and intentional. And regardless of in the Garden or out, that purpose never changed from God’s perspective. It still hasn’t. But Adam and Eve’s did and so, too, has that of every generation since. It is sad, and I am as much to blame, that we trust following God and believing in Him so much that we could complete our mission. We can never go back to Eden but we can do our best to make the place where we are far better without seeking our own advantage. Isn’t that the true lesson of the Fall? Isn’t that the way of sin? All these things happened because someone wanted to leverage their position for themselves: Satan the Serpent, Eve the woman, Adam the man. All of them were different from God. He didn’t make creation for Himself. It was an act of love. He did it for us. He is our advantage. Why would we want to leverage Him to make more of us than what He created? Yes, sin has changed the script but it cannot change the conclusion. There are many roads in life to lead and follow but in the end they will all end up in one tomorrow. We will all stand at the same gate, there is only one. And the flashing sword is the Word of God which became incarnate in Jesus Christ. He stands as the protector of the Gate and will determine the fate of all of us. Will we continue to pursue the way of God despite desperate circumstances? The scriptures chronicle that journey we are all on. We can never go back but we can always move forward!

TODAY’S PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING:

Father, in these days we are finding the need to believe even more than ever before. We all have known trouble, some in greater ways than others, but You are offering us the assurance that we will not be consumed by it forever. Regardless of the “time” we are in and the “time” we have been given, we ask for Your Holy Spirit which Jesus asked You to share with us, to lead and guide and direct us in the paths we should go. Teach us what we still need to learn. Empower us to put that learning into action. Bless our actions not as a works righteousness but as righteous works of faith, hope and love in Jesus’ name. AMEN.