Feasting on the Tree of Life

The August 2005 issue of BodyLife,

The lead article is called “Feasting on the Tree of Life” and takes a look at why some people on this journey seem to be caught in and endless cycle of frustration and emptiness while others find great freedom to live deeply in the life only Jesus can give.

We hope you find it helpful in sorting out some of the work Jesus is doing in you. If you want to discuss this article or offer any other feedback, please use the comment button below.

It begins like this:

For those who don’t think we truly died that day in the Garden of Eden when Adam and Eve chose the knowledge of good and evil over the Tree of Life, you only have to look at the human drive for personal fulfillment. Isn’t it a search for life itself? I don’t mean physical life that comes with breath and nourishment. I mean the deep, inner sense of peace and fulfillment that comes from a life well lived in the heart of God.

That’s what he created us for and everyone is looking for it in one way or another, even when they don’t realize that he is the only source of it. Many think they’ll find life if they could just find the ideal job, mate, or dream home, or circumstances free of pain or anxiety. Very few, ever get all of those to line up at the same time, and those who do, even if only for a brief time, have assured us that these things are no guarantee of true life. In fact, ideal circumstances can expose how empty our inner life really is. Just ask Solomon. All our temporal joys are fleeting and with each passing day we are all reminded by our aches and pains, both physical and emotional, that we are slowly dying and there is nothing we can do to change that… >>>READ MORE.

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By: Wayne Jacobsen | 2005/07/15 | History | Trackback | Comments [RSS 2.0]

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Comments

Jan

Comment by Jan | 2005/07/29 at 10:05:00

I have just reread your article on feasting on the Tree of Life and was so encouraged, as this is the message that I have felt Jesus has been speaking to my heart for some time now. And to hear it verbalized so clearly was an affirmation of the truth God keeps pressing in my spirit and heart. Sometimes I don’t even want to say the word "truth" because what I actually am experiencing is Jesus, not an idea which is freeing me, but a genuine closer abiding. I’m seeing more clearly how strong and deceptive my flesh is and how helpless I am, which is causing me to long for a more consistent experience of trusting only Jesus ( the Tree of Life}. Your picture of our life only being one piece of a huge puzzle has helped me to feel even more helpless in looking at the world, or my world, and being able to discern "good or evil". When I more fully rest in Jesus, then I know God,my Father, as Creator, Lover—-etc. all the "attributes" my flesh tried to memorize in order to know and worship God in truth. Even talking about this reality I feel so inadequate. I am coming to understand God as I AM and know, apart from Him revealing Himself, we will only eat from the wrong tree and only experience death. Jesus told the pharisee’s that they said they could "see" but in truth they couldn’t. It is only those that say they don’t see,that will be able to. Paul prayed that we would have ears to hear and eyes to see which, I believe only come as "we abide in Jesus" or "eat from the tree of Life". This story of life is only and all about Him. Praise God for His patience, wisdom and love. Apart from Him we are helpless and walking in darkness, in Him we really experience Life the way God created us to. To talk about this reality of the Tree of Life just fills my heart with graditude for all God has done and is doing. May our Father continue to speak through you to encourage all that we will only find life in Him.