Daily Devo
A Garden of Choices
By: Kelly Russell
Monday, June 29, 2026
If you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land. Isaiah 1:19
Since creation began, we have faced choices that carry eternal weight. Scripture consistently sets before us life and death—a choice between submission and rebellion.
The first example is found in Eden, the place of “delight.” God planted a garden there with the tree of life at its center. This was a place of pleasure and perfection.
Then, deception slithered into the garden. Temptation lured Eve into disobedience, and Adam followed. In that moment, sin entered the world. Fellowship with God was broken, revealing humanity’s need for God’s plan of salvation.
The same pattern of self-reliance exists today. We may think we are strong enough or capable enough, but we soon learn otherwise. It’s easy to lean on our own understanding rather than trusting God’s wisdom. Like Adam, we are given clear instruction, yet we allow our desires to entice us in the opposite direction.
God calls the unrighteous to repentance because who else would He call? We’ve all fallen short of His glory through our sin, and the payment for our sin is death: this is universal and personal. The Good News is that Jesus paid our sin debt, replacing death with life. Our response is to be willing and obedient.
Every day we encounter a garden of choices. The world offers pleasure without consequences, success without integrity, and gain without contentment. These choices appear harmless, yet each one is a seed. What looks appealing at the time may lead to a harvest of regret. Galatians 6:7 teaches that we reap what we sow. Just as a mango seed will never produce oranges, pride will never produce humility. Disobedience is often a byproduct of discontentment—not being happy with what we have.
The seeds we plant today will determine the harvest we experience tomorrow. Will they produce the fruit of righteousness or works of the flesh?
When we get stuck in patterns of disobedience, desperation becomes the doorway to restoration. Obedience is one of the clearest expressions of our love for God. As we love Him, our desire to obey Him grows. The more we experience God's faithfulness, the more willing we become to do what He says. Spiritual growth is a result of intentionally knowing and doing the Word.
By God’s grace, we have the power to make right choices. If we are willing and obedient, we shall eat the good of the land; that is, enjoy God’s fullness and abundance this side of heaven, and for eternity.
Read: Proverbs 11:30, Romans 3:23, 2 Peter 3:18, Hebrews 13:8, James 1:22