Dear God, I Have Questions

Life is not so neatly divided, like this image portays and it’s not always Satan doing it. Most of the time, it’s people doing it to others or to themselves. People like to use Satan as an excuse for their own actions. If we look at Job or when Jesus is in the wilderness as an example of what Satan does, then we see that Satan can bring trials, suffering, and temptation.
Most of the dry branches are actually just sin. Satan doesn’t sin for us; we sin.

Seasons Accurately Explained
Also, it’s a bad example because in Ecclesiastes 3:1 NIV
[1] There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens:
There are multiple verses that use seasons as a metaphor to describe different times in an individual’s life, Israel as a nation, believers in Jesus, and unbelievers. A winter season is just as important as a summer season. Jesus even speaks about people as the “harvest,” ready to be gathered to him. In Revelation, it talks about the rapture as a harvest and the unbelieving people being harvested for the wrath of God. (Harvest time being in the season of autumn 🍂)

This depiction/image does not accurately represent the Bible at all.
Resources:
I recently watched a short series teaching on “Seasons” by Shannon Scott. It was helpful. Here is the link if you’re interested.
https://watch.qava.tv/everything-made-beautiful

The Word Hopeless on the Dry Branches

Even the word “hopeless” doesn’t always come from Satan or really a sin. God will bring people to the end of themselves. It’s the person’s responsibility and choice to let Jesus into their situation. If they choose God, then their way out of hopelessness is by God alone. If they choose another way out of hopelessness by their own strength or manipulation, then it is not of God and is counted as prideful.

Bible verses for reference:

Psalms 34:18 NIV
[18] The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.

Matthew 5:3 NIV
[3]  “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Both verses speak of people at the end of themselves (hopelessness). The Lord is close to them, whether they want to acknowledge God/Jesus or not. It’s up to the individual to give the hopelessness to God.

Our Confidence is in Christ Alone
“Confidence” on the Jesus side of the image.

Jeremiah 17:7 NIV
[7] “But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose CONFIDENCE is in him.

The image is misleading again in its statement of “confidence”  due to the dry branches’ side naming sin and putting the responsibility of emotional states under the banner of Satan. The fruitful side would then imply that we should have confidence like Jesus did, but that is not what the scriptures say. The scriptures say, our confidence comes from the Lord Jesus Christ, not of ourselves. Since the image is represented as duality, that would then suggest that our sins come from Satan, but they don’t. Our sins come from the fall of Adam and Eve. Satan presented the temptation to sin.

Words matter and need context. Confidence in the Bible has a different meaning than confidence in the world. Someone confident in a worldly sense can come off as arrogant. From a Christian biblical perspective, arrogance stems from pride; to be prideful is to be sinful.

Bible verse speaking of confidence

Hebrews 3:6 NIV
[6] But Christ is faithful as the Son over God’s house. And we are his house, if indeed we hold firmly to our CONFIDENCE and the hope in which we glory.

Our Flesh Fails, Confidence Comes From God Alone

Moses wasn’t confident. He told God that he couldn’t do what was asked of him because of his speech issues. Gideon kept asking for signs from God, and Elijah ran away to a cave because of fear he would be killed by Ahab and Jezebel. God asked Elijah, “What are you doing here?” In the end, each of these righteous and faithful people were only successful because they had God doing the heavy lifting, miracles. Their confidence was in the Lord, God Almighty, not in themselves.

If You Want an Image of a Tree

If you want a tree with things that represent Jesus Christ and how his followers are to take action accurately, use
Galatians 5:22-26 NIV
[22] But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, [23] gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. [24] Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. [25] Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. [26] Let us not become conceited, provoking, and envying each other.

Conclusion
Be on alert because the world is full of pretty images that distract and mislead people into thinking they are Godly or from the Bible.

This image is a reminder that there is a flood of misinformation out there that is unbiblical. It misleads Christ believers into a false gospel. It can look pretty, polished, and professional, but that does not mean it is from God.
Romans 12:2 NIV
[2] Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing, and perfect will.

I hope this helps and puts you on alert about how easy it is to be led astray. Our strength and wisdom comes from knowing the word of God, which is Christ Jesus in the flesh and having a relationship with him by the Holy Spirit, Amen 💕🙏✨️🙌