Revelation 22:2
In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.

John now sees something man lost in Genesis and never could recover by his own effort: the tree of life. It stands there in the city of God, flourishing beside the river, bearing fruit constantly, richly, abundantly. Twelve kinds of fruit, fruit every month, no barrenness, no off season, no fading, no failure. Life in that city is not running down. It is always full.

That answers a question people sometimes ask with a smile. Are we going to eat in heaven? I believe we are. After His resurrection, Jesus ate before His disciples in Luke 24:37 through 43. He was not a phantom. He was glorified, yet still able to eat. That tells me heaven is not less real than life now. It is more real. It is not thin and ghostly. It is full, joyful, tangible, alive.

So when John sees the tree of life bearing fruit, I do not read that as mere decoration. I read it as one more reminder that heaven is a place of satisfaction. The Lord is not preparing a pale existence for His people. He is preparing a world of abundance. The river flows. The tree bears. The fruit comes. Everything speaks of life that never dries up.

Then John adds that the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. At first that can sound puzzling. Does that mean there is sickness in heaven? No. The word there carries the idea of well being, refreshment, invigoration, a kind of ongoing therapy. Not recovery from disease, but the continual enjoyment of perfect strength, perfect freshness, perfect vitality.

That is wonderful to think about.

We know so much weariness here. We get tired in body, tired in mind, tired in heart. Sometimes a man can sleep all night and still wake up heavy. Sometimes a woman can carry so much for so long that she feels worn through. Even our happiest days down here are still lived in bodies that weaken and minds that can grow tired.

But not there.

In that city there will be no dragging yourself through the day. No fog. No depletion. No strength leaking away. No need to push through exhaustion. The life of God will be everywhere. The river of life will be flowing. The tree of life will be bearing fruit. The leaves will speak of everlasting freshness. We will not merely survive eternity. We will enjoy it with unbroken vigor.

There is something else here too. The tree bears fruit every month. John uses language we can understand, but the point comes through clearly. In heaven there is continual supply. You will never come to the tree and find it empty. You will never arrive too late. You will never discover that the season has passed. The provision of God never runs dry.

That says a lot about the Lord. He is not a God who gives life sparingly. He is not stingy with joy. He is not reluctant to refresh His people. Everything John sees in this chapter says the same thing. God is life giving. God is satisfying. God is abundant. God is endlessly generous to those who are His.

And maybe that is why this touches the heart so deeply. We live in a world where everything good seems to wear down. Fruit spoils. Energy fades. Bodies age. Strength runs low. Even our best moments pass too quickly. But John says a day is coming when the people of God will live where nothing spoils and nothing fades. We will eat and be satisfied. We will be refreshed and never drained. We will be invigorated and never worn out again.

I think every tired saint feels the pull of that promise.

So lift up your eyes. The road is not always easy here, but it is heading somewhere glorious. There is a river ahead. There is a tree ahead. There is fruit ahead. There is eternal freshness ahead. And the same Jesus who rose and ate with His disciples is the One preparing that place for His people now.

What waits for us is not less life. It is life as it was always meant to be.