Throughout the Bible, its writers use examples of everyday living to verbalize spiritual truths. Always inadequate, because words always will be, but a glimpse, an imperfect reflection of other-worldly perfection. Like the butterfly. Like the garden.
The Bible begins with a garden and fruit-bearing plants.
And the Lord God planted a garden in Eden, … Out of the ground the Lord God made to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight and good for food. Genesis 2:8-9
The first curse was that no longer would crops grow without effort; that after “the Fall,” man would have to work at his relationship with the ground, and with God.
And to the man He said, … cursed is the ground because of you; in toil you shall eat of it all the days of your life; Genesis 3:17
As predicted by Ezekiel, and confirmed in Revelation, at the end of time, in the Holy City, the garden returns with living waters and trees that bear all the fruit we need.
Fruit trees of all kinds will grow on both banks of the river. Their leaves will not wither, nor will their fruit fail. Every month they will bear fruit, because the water from the sanctuary flows to them. Their fruit will serve for food and their leaves for healing.” Ezek. 41:12
Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life… On either side of the river, is the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, producing its fruit each month. Revelation 22:1-2
While in this life, our relationship with God is broken. He so wants to have that relationship with us that He presents Himself to us at every turn. But God does not force Himself on us; we must also make an effort at our relationship with Him. Until we are with Him in His kingdom, we must continue to “toil.”
You may ask, if God loves us so, why must we make any effort at all? You may doubt the power or even the existence of God. You may doubt that God is loving. But before you judge God, His goodness or power or love, I ask you to introduce yourself to Him. He is standing at the door of your heart; speak to Him. I have found that He is gentle in answering my questions. He is gentle when I throw a temper tantrum because I didn’t get my way. He is gentle when I am confused and lost and scared.
God is not calling us to be servants. He is calling us to be heirs of His kingdom. As children of God and joint heirs with Jesus, there is some maturation that needs to happen, a garden that we need to tend, before we enter heaven and live in perfect relationship with God once again.
The Victory Garden 