Seeds of the Kingdom 5th October 2022: The Tree of Life And The Water of Life

Seeds of the Kingdom 5th October 2022 Daily Devotional || By Ellel Ministries International. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

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The Tree of Life And The Water of Life
by Liz Griffin

Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb through the middle of the street of the city; also, on either side of the river, the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit each month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations … Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they may have the right to the tree of life and that they may enter the city by the gates. Revelation 22:1-2, ESV

Seeds of the Kingdom 5th October 2022 MESSAGE

I have been so blessed to read about the river of the water of life and the tree of life in the beginning of the Bible and then at the end of the Bible. In the book of Genesis, a life-giving tree was created for Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. ‘And out of the ground the Lord God made to spring up every tree that is pleasant to the sight and good for food. The tree of life was in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil’ (Genesis 2:9).

But, after the fall, Adam and Eve were sent away from the Garden of Eden and not allowed to go near the tree of life (Genesis 3:22-24). If they had eaten from the tree of life after their sin, they would have been forced to live forever in their fallen state. But in Father God’s mercy and love, human beings became mortal so that they could be redeemed through Jesus’ death on the cross and then enter eternity without their sinful nature.

Ezekiel had a vision of a future glorious temple in which there was once again a river of the water of life and trees providing food and healing. ‘And on the banks, on both sides of the river, there will grow all kinds of trees for food. Their leaves will not wither, nor their fruit fail, but they will bear fresh fruit every month, because the water for them flows from the sanctuary. Their fruit will be for food, and their leaves for healing’ (Ezekiel 47:12).

Each of us now have the knowledge of good and evil, and free will to choose God’s way of salvation through Jesus Christ. We can choose life, not death, blessing, not curse. In the book of Revelation, we find the holy city of the New Jerusalem, where the curse of Genesis Chapter 3 is reversed. On either side of the river of the water of life is the tree of life. Its fruit and leaves bring life, health, and blessing, undoing the consequences of the fall.

Seeds of the Kingdom 5th October 2022, Daily Devotional by Ellel Ministries

Yet, in this present age, I believe there is not only the tree of life for us, representing eternal life in the future, but a tree of life, together with fresh streams of living water from the Holy Spirit (as promised by Jesus in John 4:10-14 and John 7:38-39). The Book of Proverbs describes godly wisdom as ‘a tree of life to those who lay hold of her; those who hold her fast are called blessed’. (Proverbs 3:13-18), and ‘The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and whoever captures souls is wise’ (Proverbs 11:30).

The prophet Jeremiah has these encouraging words: ‘Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose trust is the Lord. He is like a tree planted by water, that sends out its roots by the stream, and does not fear when heat comes, for its leaves remain green, and is not anxious in the year of drought, for it does not cease to bear fruit’ (Jeremiah 17:7-8).

So, it’s reassuring to know that I can grasp hold of blessings in this earthy life by trusting in the Lord, by being spiritually wise, by understanding the truth in His word, and by doing my best to obey His instructions. I really do want to be like a tree of life planted by the stream of the water of life.

Seeds of the Kingdom 5th October 2022 PRAYER

Thank You, dear Heavenly Father, for giving me such beautiful promises in Your word. One day I shall be in the New Jerusalem and eating the fruit of the tree of life and finding blessing and healing for all the troubles and sorrows of this life. Thank You that, until that time, I can be a tree of life in this earthly life, bearing fruit, and with green leaves, even during times of drought. Please help me to lay hold of Your wisdom and to fully trust in You. Amen.

Seeds of the Kingdom 5th October 2022 written by Liz Griffin; lived for 20 years as an expatriate in South Africa, Bahrain and Japan, as her husband Paul worked for an international oil company. Paul and Liz became involved with Ellel Ministries in 1991 as part of the ministry team and were also on the full-time team at Ellel Grange for 16 years. Paul and Liz teach and minister to those seeking healing in their lives and together have written two books, ‘Anger – How Do You Handle It’ and ‘Hope and Healing For The Abused’.