Genesis 2:15 (KJV) “And the LORD God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it.
The second reason why the LORD God put man whom He had formed in the garden of Eden was that man may KEEP IT. To “keep it” means to guard, preserve, and protect it. We must guard jealously, our God-given garden of Eden, that is, our God-given talents, giftings, careers, or ministries. We must be sober and spiritually vigilant because our “adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour” (1Pe 5:8; KJV). Guard your God-given garden against every form of contamination, pollution and corruption. See to it that your God-given garden is consecrated unto God and to God alone.
Now, the Hebrew word used for “keep” is shāmar. It is the same word used later for keeping God’s commandments (Deut. 6:17). So, in Genesis 2:16-17, the Bible says, “And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it.” This means that “keeping” our God-given garden of Eden involves obeying God’s specific commands or instructions to us regarding our God-given talents, giftings, careers or ministries. The growth and development of our gifts and callings depend greatly on our obedience to the instructions of the LORD our God. Adam and Eve lost their garden of Eden because they did not “keep it”; they did not obey the instructions of the LORD. Don’t lose your garden of Eden. Be wise!
Written by: Andrew A. Esemudje