Humankind was first created to grow into branches. However, the first branches decided that they knew better than the Creator by partaking in something that they were forbidden to do, and thus, tore themselves away from the Tree of Life. They tried to become trees and planted themselves in sin instead.
After this, the offspring of the branches started off tainted. These seeds naturally desired what was dark, leaving their leaves splotched, their branches mottled, their roots rotting. Weeds and thorns grew around them, choking their start, causing them to be thin and pale.
They were destined to die.
They could not save themselves in their own power. Hard as they tried to reach the heavens alone, they were not able to reach beyond the snares and weeds that surrounded them.
So the Creator sent His own seed to be planted in the earth – blemish free. He grew in wisdom and stature.
Only this One could save them by reconnecting them to the Tree. The One Who had the Sap of Life flowing through His branches. He gave Himself to die in their place, for any and all who would accept His sacrifice as Truth. They had to have beleaf. (Belief – couldn’t help myself, sorry. 😆)
He became our Grafter.
The only way that the trees could live was to give up their lives to the Tree. Allow themselves to be cut down, the most painful process. Allow themselves to be lovingly picked up afterward, and grafted onto the Parent tree. Allow the Life from the Parent Tree to flow into them. Become instead of self trees, become humility trees. Or Humilitrees. (I couldn’t resist sorry. 🤣) Otherwise known as… branches.
In this way, the Creator Tree pulled His creation from the death that was the fireplace.
And after they were grafted, they thought they could stay in the Holy Tree’s trunk by producing fruit of their own stick-power. The limbs had not fully grafted yet – they had not accepted that they were branches and had nothing apart from the Divine. In doing so, their connection to the Sap was compromised, and their fruit was rotten and stinky before the Creator.
Only One could strengthen them to bear good fruit. The Tree of Life. The fruit of this Tree was holy, just, merciful, loving, all-knowing, all-seeing, and wonderful.
Only then could any of the traits of the Parent Tree flow into these young saplings. They welcomed the sap. They welcomed the Holy Sap into their limbs and into themselves, glad that they were no longer the dying tree bound for death. They accepted that in their own power, they had no power, but the fruit that came from Him was living and fresh before the Lord.
And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man. (Luke 2:52)
But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away. Isaiah 64:6
For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast. (Ephesians 2:8-9)
“I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned. If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you. Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.” (John 5:5-8)
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. (Galatians 5:2-3)
Hello and welcome to whatever this was! 🤣 This spawned out of a Gospel study with Olivia at Refreshing Spirit. There are 34 parts to this study, and there will be notes and more stories like this whenever we finish a part. The theme for this was The Condition of the Soul. This was inspired by the verses I shared above. 😊
This is my second time participating in this fun prompt. 🙂
Following Him Beside Still Waters 