Who will be the keeper of the Tree of Life in your life?

Genesis 3:1-7

Who will be the keeper of the Tree of Life in your life?

1) The Lord is the Redeemer, He is NOT not the preventer of unpleasant experiences.

God is doing more in history than just preventing suffering, grief, or loss in our lives

1 Corinthians 10:13

2 Corinthians 4:17

Romans 8:18-19

Hebrews 13:20-21

1 Peter 5:18

Our goal as Christians is to allow God to be the one to redeem us and that we do not try redeeming ourselves

That is when we worry, deal with anxiety, or depression

We may even look back and think dealing with whatever trial wasn’t worth it but the problem then is that we have a limited perspective whereas God has the full picture

2) Grief, struggles, and loss are not intended to be comparative

The thoughts like, “I’m better than I deserve to be”, “I am better off than the next person” so I shouldn’t grieve

It is not only ok the grieve before God, He wants to hear your griefs

Like missing St. Vinnies or Culvers, or the singing at church

The comparative size of your grief does not qualify it as acceptable to bring to God or not.

3) This is not how I would have scripted my fifth year as a pastor but God has given me an opportunity to go on a journey with Him that is bigger than myself

He is challenging you to go with Him on a journey that is bigger than you.

Matthew 14:22-31…Jesus asked Peter to walk to Him

How can Peter experience Jesus in this moment?

How can he experience Jesus in the midst of the wind and waves?

Trust Him and get out of the boat and start the journey to Him

Allow Jesus to be the keeper of the Tree of Life

Closing thoughts

Jeremiah 29:11

Ezra 8:21

Psalm 23:4

Psalm 91:11

Psalm 119:105

Psalm 121:1-3 God won’t let you sleep because He doesn’t sleep

Psalm 121:5-6 He won’t let you fall because He is your shade

1 Corinthians 10:13

Romans 8:28; 35-39