The Bible is unequivocal on the fact that God is rich in blessings. According to our text, if you can affirm a gift to be good God originated it. The challenge is knowing how to access the riches of His grace and favour. Three things must be kept in mind to enjoy from God’s stable. Firstly, faith creates access. “By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God” (Romans 5:2). Then we have access by the Spirit. “For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father” (Ephesians 2:18).

There is yet a third access without which the first two are rendered impotent; and this is obedience.

“Blessed are those who do His commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter through the gates into the city.” (Revelation 22:14 NKJV). This verse makes it clear that only those who do His commandments will have the right to the tree of life and enter into the city. Two words in this verse connote access: “right” and “enter” and they mean the same thing – access. And for all practical purposes we can say the tree of life is symbolic of all the promises of God that guarantees a good life. As we pledge to walk with God in absolute obedience nothing good will be withheld from us. We have it on good authority that it was disobedience that cut man off from the good life in Eden; and it stands to reason that it is only obedience that can take him back to what was lost.