Tend And Keep Your Garden

This message takes us back to the Garden of Eden to uncover a profound truth about our spiritual lives today. In Genesis 2:15, God gave Adam two critical responsibilities: to tend and to keep the garden. These weren't just agricultural instructions—they represent the dual nature of our spiritual walk. Tending speaks to offense: the active cultivation of God's presence through prayer, worship, fasting, and meditating on His Word. But keeping speaks to defense: the vigilant protection of our hearts against the enemy's attacks. The garden we're called to guard isn't a physical place—it's our hearts, the wellspring from which everything in our lives flows. Just as Adam and Eve failed to keep watch when the serpent entered Eden, we too can excel at spiritual disciplines while leaving our hearts vulnerable to offense, bitterness, unforgettable thoughts, and deception. The enemy's ultimate target has always been the heart, because if he captures our hearts, he captures everything. We're challenged to ask ourselves: are we playing both offense and defense in our spiritual lives? Are we scoring points through devotion while allowing the enemy to score through unguarded thoughts and unresolved wounds? This message calls us to a higher standard of spiritual warfare—one that recognizes we must not only cultivate intimacy with God but also aggressively protect what He's planted within us.