Monday, September 5, 2005

From Which Tree Are You Eating?

Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? (Matthew 6:25)
This goes back to the original choice in the Garden of Eden: Eat of the Tree of Life, or of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil? Notice how the Tree of the Knowledge appeared to Eve:
So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. (Genesis 3:6)
Jesus said, “Is not life more than food?” Eve could have tasted life, but she settled for food.

Many people are worried about where their food is going to come from, where they will get their clothes, how they will be able to get to where they need to be. They do not realize it, but they are actually looking for the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, as if it will take care of all their concerns. “If I can just discern good from evil, and then follow only the good, I’ll be okay.” Apart from the Tree of Life, good works are nothing more than dead fruit.

What we really need is life. Jesus said, It is written, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.” (Matthew 4:4)

Bread alone is death to the spirit. We need to hear God, for every word He utters brings us life in abundance.
Therefore do not worry, saying, “What shall we eat?” or “What shall we drink?” or “What shall we wear?” For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. (Matthew 6:31-33)
Gentiles, the pagan followers of this present world system, vainly seek fruit from the wrong tree. They will never be satisfied. But seek after the Tree of Life — the kingdom of God, His rule and reign, His way of doing and being right — and all these things will be added to you.

The fruit of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil leads to fear, anger, sickness, poverty, and death. The fruit of the Tree of Life leads to abundant life, full of every blessing and provision of God.

From which tree are you eating? The one that fills you with worry and has you frantically scrambling after the things you need? Or the one that has you hearing the life-giving words from God and fills you with faith, hope, love, joy, and peace?

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