"The LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it. And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, 'You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.'"
As we begin this new year, we all tend to look forward with a Utopian mentality. We are looking for lives that will be peaceful and as perfect as possible. A lack of conflict and affliction will make for that perfect kind of year. Yet in our hearts we know that this is not possible, at least not here.
As I began reading through the Bible again this morning, I was struck by these 3 verses. I have read them many times before, but today their words leapt off the page and caused me to sit with them for a few minutes and contemplate them.
The only perfect place on this earth is in the Word of God. The Bible is my garden of Eden. I am to be in it (daily), work it (working out my salvation with fear and trembling), and keep it (obeying all that it says to me, taking care to cultivate it in my heart in such a way as to bear fruit for God). I am to eat of it every day for my spiritual sustenance and growth.
Interestingly, I am also suppose to NOT eat of a particular "tree" found in it -- the tree of the knowledge of good and evil -- for it represents the LAW of the first covenant God made with man. Because I am living in a day when the Jesus has already come and made sacrifice for my life, having died for me, I have been free to believe faithfully in His sacrifice and to choose to enter into a personal relationship with Him. I am now a partaker (eater) of the Tree of Life -- which represents GRACE. Both trees are present in the garden, the Word, but only one of them is the tree I am to eat of. It is the only way to a true relationship with God. That doesn't mean I am to omit the Old Testament (LAW) from my understanding, but instead am to study it too and learn from it. I am to LIVE BY the words in the New Testament (GRACE).
Since the world cannot offer what we truly desire, and the Word of God is the only place where we can find the "perfect, peaceful, joy-filled, and abundant life," I am planning to spend a lot of time there this year. Forget the "resolutions"! Instead, why not simply purpose in your heart to to work, keep, and eat the Word of God in 2014! Choose to live in the only perfect thing that can be found on this earth!
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