And out of the ground made the Lord God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil. (Gen 2:9 KJV)
Last night I had a most disturbing dream. It was disturbing because I love the woods. I enjoy walking among the trees, lots of them. The pleasure I get from being among anything that reminds me of God's natural creation is great. In the dream, we had just purchased some very wooded property with a partner (not known to me in real life). Near the edge of this property there were two beautiful, huge fruit trees on it. I have never seen fruit trees that large. The lower branches were barely within my reach. The fruit on one of the trees was oval shaped and about a foot long. The fruit on the other tree was not quite so large. I had reached up and poked one of the foot long fruits. It was soft and juice poured out on my fingers. I tasted the juice. It didn't taste like anything.
As I was standing there admiring the trees the co-owner came over and let me know that the fruit on that tree was poisonous. Feeling a bit stupid, I didn't tell him that I'd already tasted it and I wandered away to check out the rest of the property. It wasn't long before I heard heavy equipment and a power saw running. I ran to make sure those two trees were still standing. It was too late. They were not. The co-owner of the property had cut them down. Where two grand trees once stood there was now only two huge stumps. I was (as I always am when Howard cuts down trees that I didn't want cut) very upset.
I imagine the dream probably surfaced due to my sermon last night. It was about mankind being kicked out of Paradise over the two trees that God had planted in the middle of the garden. They had eaten of the tree that God had warned them not to eat of or they would die.
We have all partaken of those things God warns us will destroy us. We are sinners. But, Christ has given us the antidote to the poison that we think we have to try. He is the remedy. As I consider the dream this morning, I cannot help but wonder if it was a reminder to make sure that we do not cut the tree of life, who is Jesus the Christ, out of our lives.
May God grant you the knowledge, the love, and a burning desire for the tree of life, Jesus the Christ that you might live in the garden of paradise with him for all eternity.
God's Peace - Pr. J
No comments:
Post a Comment