There is a golden thread running through the Bible promising that God has a place for us to live with Him. It runs from the Garden of Eden to the city of David and to the New Jerusalem which will come down from heaven one day.


But until that time, God lives with us; the Spirit of Jesus is in our hearts. And He builds walls for us in the here and now. He is our “Fortress,” our guarantee of protection and safety.


Because the original home of Adam and Eve was a garden, we have thought of it as very far from a city. But gardens in ancient times – like the Hanging Gardens of Babylon – were often walled. Also, we are told that the City of God will have a river and the tree of life.


A recent author says, “The divine call for humanity was an urban mandate. Life in the Garden was always intended to grow into life in the city…The city is a larger version of the life, work and relationships found in the garden… an intended outgrowth of the flourishing community our God has always enjoyed with Himself as Father, Son and Spirit.”