The Garden of Eden was God’s original design for perfect provision in preparation for the creation of Adam and Eve. Being Eden was lost because Adam fell and sin entered the world, how did God insert His perfect provision for us today in a fallen world?

Through His Rest.

Despite man falling into sin, in His perfect love God recreated perfect provision in the Promise Land (Exodus 3:8, Deuteronomy 12:9-11). The Promise Land was freely given to the Israelite’s, was given to be their home, is a place of mental and physical peace, and is a place where the presence of God dwells, a land that flows with milk and honey (Numbers 13:27-28), and was ready for them to inhabit because giants were living there and built a city with huge walls, infrastructure, homes, vineyards, roads, farms, everything the Israelites needed (Deut 6:10,11)!

This my friend is God’s rest (Deut 12:9), and is the same rest that the author of Hebrews is referring to when they warn you not to repeat the same mistake of Israel: unbelief (Hebrews 4:11).

When God gave the Israelites the promise land, this was their purpose, where they should be in life rather than back in Egypt or in the desert. It took the Israelites 40 years to enter it because of their unbelief. Your unbelief will not only keep you from fulfilling God’s purpose for your life, but will keep you from entering into God’s rest. Unbelief will cause you to wander in the wilderness or your area of sin, just like the Israelites did because you will be making decisions based on fear. Unbelief is sin because it is rooted in the fear that God’s Word will not work.

And when you do not believe God’s Word will not work, it will keep you from receiving the provisions and blessings God has already given you. Satan tries to magnify unbelief in the promises of God using it to influence you into making bad decisions. Our obedience to God and our belief in His work and the relationship He established between us enabled us to enter into His rest which unleashed the command of His blessings and abundance on our lives (Isaiah 1:19)!

God has the same purpose for your life as He had a specific purpose for the Israelites. He has all your provisions ready to go for your purpose. He has your city built. He has a job for you, a spouse, a ministry, all planned for you according to how He created you to fit you specifically.  He literally has every step of your life prepared and planned (Proverbs 4:12, 16:9, 20:24).  And when you submit to Him and are obedient to the purpose He has for your life, you will enter into your perfect provision.