But let's get practical on how
trees in the Bible apply to us today. Think of any garden; it could
be your garden at home, a park close by, or even the gardens at
work or school, basically any garden. Think of all the work that
needs to go into it, in order to have a beautiful garden. There are
a lot of things that need to be done to help the garden to grow and
reach its full potential to be as scenic as you want it to be:
- You need to make sure that the ground is fruitful, filled with
all the right minerals it needs to support the plants that you want
to grow.
- You need to water the garden on a regular basis. Some plants
need more than others, so you need to know the right amount to
give.
- You need to take out the weeds trying to strangle and limit the
growth of your plants.
- You need to cut back where needed and prune the plants in order
to bear more fruit/to grow the way you want them to.
- You need to make sure the plants get the right amount of
sunshine. Some plants need a lot of sunshine and others don't. You
need to make sure that every plant is where it is supposed to be in
order to thrive.
- You need to spend time in your garden, walking about, tenderly
caring for each plant according to its special, unique needs.
We can apply all these same
principles to us. As we've seen, we are part of God's garden today.
We are the ones that He adores and loves and wishes to see us grow.
But we need to be willing to allow the Gardener to look after us.
We need to be willing to submit to Him, to give our lives to Him,
and to surrender our will to Him. Then we can rest assured that
because we are part of His garden, that He will look after us:
- God will provide the right ground for us to grow on. When we
surrender to His will, He will make sure that we are in the right
place at the right time. He will cultivate the ground and give us
the opportunity to take in the right minerals. When we spend time
in His presence, we will grow in the ground of the world to come.
He will reveal things to us over and above all we can imagine. The
world to come will become more real to us than our current world.
We will take in all the nourishment from the rich soil there and be
able to grow big and strong, ready to face any challenge this earth
can offer us. Practically: Spend time each day meditating on the
future world that already is and that will dominate the whole
universe as we know it. Ask God to show you your place in this
world and obtain all the nutrients by being in His presence and
walking in that world, even though your feet are still on earth.
After all, God's Word tells us that we should set our minds on
things above and not down below (Colossians 3:1-2).
- God knows the right amount of water that we need. Staying close
to Him, we will receive all the water that we need. In His
presence, He will look after us. No famine and no economic hardship
will be able to come against us. We will have more than enough to
not only survive but to thrive. Practically: Read and meditate
daily on His Word.
- The weeds, the demons in our lives (the things you are battling
with), and the cares of this life will disintegrate the moment that
we are faced with the ecstasy of the world to come. The more that
we are focused on the things above, the more the weeds in our lives
will die. They cannot survive when faced with the glory of God.
They just cannot. God's love, light, and justice will sort them
out. We needn't worry about them. When true life meets death and
destruction, it is no match. Simply living in God's presence filled
to the brim with His life sorts them out. Practically: Renew your
mind to focus on God. Speak His Word out loud, and speak His will
over situations and struggles in your life. You might not see
changes immediately, but continue speaking the Truth and do not
give up; the changes will come.
- God will prune your life and make sure that you become the best
tree that you can be. He will cut back where necessary and lift up
where needed. You can totally surrender. Yes, in those times you
might be sore, and yes, it might be uncomfortable, but in the long
run you will be so glad. You will be all God created you to be, and
in that lies so much freedom, so much joy, so much love. You might
not become the tree you expected to be, but God will make sure that
you are the tree that you are supposed to be. Therein lies
treasures in heaven, as well as satisfaction on earth. Practically:
God's discipline might be hard. You might not be where you thought
you would be in your life, you might not get the promotion you
wanted, or you might not have all that you dreamed of as a child.
But pray and ask Him for a new vision for your life. Ask Him to
reveal to you where He sees you and what He wants you to do. And
walk in that, knowing that you are being formed to be the best you
can be.
- God will shine His light on you. He is the Light that gives
life to the world. In the New Jerusalem, there won't be a sun or a
moon, for God will illuminate all. You can live in that reality now
already. Bask in His light, take it all in, be saturated to a point
where all you can do is shine His light to all. You will become a
beacon of hope, a lighthouse showing the way. Practically: Spend
time alone with God every day. Also spend at least five minutes a
day in nature, whether it is your garden or a park close by. But
spend that time and experience nature all around you, with the sun
shining on your skin, and know that God is shining on you the same
way. He will speak to you through His creation. I have personally
received many revelations this way, and I know you will too.
- You can be assured that God spends plenty of time in His
garden. He walks about and cares for every single tree and plant.
He tenderly knows your name, every intricate part of you, and He
knows who He wants you to become, in order to fit perfectly into
His flawless garden. When you allow Him to affectionately care for
you and take you on a journey into His world, you will never be the
same again. Euphoria will be your middle name. Practically: Take a
walk with God every day, even if it is just for a few minutes, and
allow His Spirit to speak to your heart in a soft and affectionate
way as to the way forward for you. Give Him time to show His love
for you and just bask in it, knowing that your future is safe with
Him. Surrender to Him and trust Him with every detail of your
life.
(Excerpt from The Tree
of Life by Ilze Henderson)