24 After he drove the man out, he placed on the east side of the Garden of Eden cherubim and a flaming sword flashing back and forth to guard the way to the tree of life. Genesis 3:24

A lot has been written about the tree of life and Adam being banished from the Garden of Eden. Because he had already sinned, eating from the tree of life would have sealed Adam’s fate and offered no hope of salvation. Eating from it would not have taken that sin away; he would have died not having the chance to repent. It was an act of mercy that God guarded the way to the tree of life. Otherwise Adam, now being a sinner, would have undoubtedly chosen the wrong choice – to eat from the tree of life even if he was commanded not to, which he was. The cherubim going back and forth in front of the tree of life was also a constant reminder of paradise lost.

We don’t always look at Adam’s banishment as an act of mercy but it was. We don’t see as mercy in most of life’s events because at the time it’s painful. Sometimes, though, we just have to look at it from God’s perspective: how will He be glorified in this event? We all have had situations where we think no good could ever come from the event. That certainly may be true but we may see God in more things if we choose to see Him.