The Tree part 4
Everybody wants options. Freedom to choose. I kind of like how simple God makes it for us so much of the time. Look at Isaiah 40:4 (NLT), "Fill in the valleys, and level the moiuntains and hills. Straighten the curves, and smooth out the rough places." That's called the cross. That's called God doing the heavy lifting. Finishing the work so that we can enjoy the fruit of His labor. The fruit of the Tree of Life. Which is the fruit of the Spirit. Which is love. The way that leads to life is straight and narrow. Which some people take as, or see as, constricting. But I see it as smooth sailing. We don't have to climb mountains and valleys. And, listen, I believe there's a song that says something to the effect of, "God gives us moutains so we can learn how to climb." I get that. If you never face adversity you will never learn and grow. Jesus said in this world we will have tribulation. But I'm not sure that is God giving us mountains. I think that's more just life. I think God said He would level the mountains. God doesn't GIVE us tribulation. He gives us joy, because even in the midst of our tribulation He is there, carrying us through. He has overcome the world. That's why we're overcomers. Not because we can overcome, but because we have already overcome in Him! See, once man proved--and God knew this would happen. This didn't sneak up on Him and make Him change His plans--once man proved that he couldn't resist the temptation of the tree of death (the tree of knowledge of good and evil), Jesus went ahead and got rid of that whole tree. So that it wouldn't be something we would even have to deal with. He brought us out of a place of duality (or what some people call "choice") and into a place of perfection. And I'm not saying we don't have a choice. Of course we do. We can take what God has made available to us... or we can not. But look at Deuteronomy 30:19 (NLT), "Today I have given you the choice between life and death, between blessings and curses. Now I call on heaven and earth to witness the choice you make. Oh, that you would choose life, so that you and your descendants might live!" Even in the Old Testament, the Old Covenant, when God gave that choice... He also told us what the right choice was! There's life... and there's death. Choose life! Stop swinging from branch to branch on the wrong tree, trying to turn over a new leaf, and get onto the right tree! It's the only tree left. The only game in town. Or at least the only game in town worth playing. There is nothing that compares to God's love. And so He made it very easy for us to see that. Gave us time--until the appointed time--to see what else was out there... and then brought us back into the fold by getting rid of everything except Himself. Except love. Love is... everything. Love is... the only thing. The straight and narrow way that leads to life... is love. Because living and loving aren't just connected, they are the same thing. To live is to love and to love is to live. You can't have one without the other and you can't do one without the other. The fruit of the Tree of Life is love. And it's the only tree left. So dig in. Feast on love. Share it. Invite people to eat with you. Give what you've got and in that way experience and enjoy what you've got!