Good News Between Two Trees
On a shelf in my church office I have two model trees that I purchased from a local craft store. They only cost me $12.99, but the message they communicate is far more valuable.
In the first book of the Bible, Genesis chapter 2, we see that God places the tree of life in the midst of the garden of Eden. And, if we turn to the last book of the Bible, to Revelation 22, we see the tree of life make a second cameo appearance. Between these two trees, the time from creation to the future return of Jesus, a lot of history takes place.
It is between these two trees that God uses Adam and Eve to populate the earth. Between these two trees God uses Noah to preserve His creation as He cleanses the world. It is here, also, that God uses Moses to save an entire nation from slavery. Fast forward a couple thousand years, and we see that God uses Mary to bring Jesus, the Son of God, into the world. God uses people like Paul and David to take the hope of Jesus to a hopeless world. God uses women like Sarah, Rebecca, Rachel, and Leah to do the same. Skip forward another 1,500 years and we see how, between these two trees, God uses people like Johannes Gutenberg and Martin Luther to make the Bible accessible to the average person. 500 years later Greg Laurie, through the Jesus Movement, helps to form the church as we now know it. Today, between these two trees, pastors like Tim Keller, Louie Giglio, and many others help to bring Jesus to urban cities like New York and Atlanta. And God is not done. He is still writing the story. He is still writing your story.
Until the day when Jesus returns, and you see the tree of life that is described in Revelation 22, God is not done with you. Your story is part of the bigger story that exists between two trees. It is in this beautiful story of creation, fall, redemption, and restoration that your life was formed… you were created with a purpose. You might feel like you are too old, but Abraham was 100 years old when God decided to do His greatest work in his life. You might think you are too young, but Mary and Joseph were just teenagers when they raised the Son of God. Maybe you think your past is too messy. I doubt it’s any messier than David's, an adulterer and murderer, who was know as a man after God’s own heart.
It doesn’t matter what your past is littered with. It doesn’t matter what present limitations you might have. God created you with a purpose and is eager to partner with you. As long as you have breath in your lungs, God is not done with you. We may not know when we will sit in the shade of that second tree, but if you are reading this, there is still time to make a difference for Jesus.