Mensa Otabil - Placed By God (09/29/2025)
We’re still in the book of Genesis, chapter 2, verse 8. The Lord God planted a garden eastward in Eden, and there He put the man whom He had formed. God created the earth, and in addition to creating the earth, He also created the life forms of the earth, including the plant life, the vegetation. Our passage tells us that He went another step beyond what He had created, and He planted a garden. He planted a garden, and I want you to take note of two words in the passage. The first word is «planted.» It means to establish or put something in the ground.
Now, when God created the earth, if you look at the account in Genesis chapter 1, the plants came from the earth; He spoke the plants out of the earth. But in this instance, He’s doing the opposite—He’s putting plants in the earth. So, He created the earth, the plants from the earth, and then He planted what He had created back into the earth. So that’s something deliberate that I want you to pay attention to. He planted a garden. He created the vegetation, but He planted a garden. The second word I want you to note is «garden.» It means a fenced or protected area.
Now, I know that when we talk about a garden, we think about flowers and nice colors, but in the context in which it is used here, it means a protected area, a fenced and protected area. God located a spot on the earth that He has created, fenced it out, so to speak, planted special trees and fruits in there, and He called that place Eden. The word «Eden» means pleasant or pleasantness, so He planted a pleasant place on the earth that He has created.
And the Bible says He placed man there. That shows you that God’s intention is to place man in a pleasant place on the earth that He has created. His desire for you is that you will be placed in a pleasant place, and may the Lord bring you to your pleasant place on this earth. Now, that pleasant place is a place that He has prepared. God did not just allow the earth to produce it; He prepares it, so there is an investment that He puts into where He wants to place each one of us in our lives.
Now, for most of us, our pleasant place will be the place that God has determined before time for us to be in. It starts first by finding salvation in Christ Jesus, to find rest for your soul. That’s your pleasant place; that is the place that God has planted for us to be. We call it being born again. From there, He starts introducing us to places that He has prepared for us in our careers, in our marriage choices, and in all areas of life. There is a prepared place for us that God has set up and wants to bring us into. May the Lord plant each one of us; may the Lord plant you into your Eden, into your prepared place.
May He place us in the center of His will, and may He help us to find His purposes in all that we do—doing the things that bring us real joy. There is a place God has for you on this earth, and you will be settled in that place. Let’s pray together. Say with me, «Heavenly Father, thank You that You have a place planted for me, and help me find my place in Your will. In Jesus' name, Amen.» Well, thank you for joining me, my friend. I’m Pastor Mensa Otabil. Shalom, peace, and life to you.