Trees Of Life And Death

Genesis 2:8-9 (The Message)

Then God planted a garden in Eden, in the east. He put the Man he had just made in it. God made all kinds of trees grow from the ground, trees beautiful to look at and good to eat. The Tree-of-Life was in the middle of the garden, also the Tree-of-Knowledge-of-Good-and-Evil.

Beyond my garden fence rise two magnificent trees. They are in my line of sight as I sit for my morning quiet time and all year they tell me something of the greatness, the creativity, the wonder of God. The Bible is full of trees, present at incredible moments of God’s story. 

Take the Garden of Eden: God plants there two great trees: the Tree-of-Life and the Tree-of-the-Knowledge-of-Good-and-Evil. When I recall the events, it’s the second tree I think about – God’s warning not to touch, the temptation, the apple, the serpent, the fall. 

I almost forget the first: the infinitely greater tree, the Tree-of-Life whose fruit was there for the taking. But that’s the tragedy of the story! God knew that consuming the fruit of the Tree-of-the-Knowledge-of-Good-and-Evil, born of a desire to be equal with him, would result in DEATH. And Adam and Eve could have chosen LIFE. It was there, right in front of them, Life eternal, Life in all its fullness, Life in the goodness of God, Life of freedom, of joy, of excitement, of fun, of peace. Life with God.

And they chose death.

When you chose Jesus, incarnate God, as your Saviour, you chose Life: the same life that God always intended his children should enjoy in Eden. As you surrendered yourself to him, his eternal Spirit of Life came to dwell in you. But that was not the end of your story with him. Every new day he gives you, you can Choose Life. You may know what most of today holds for you, or it may be uncertain. What is certain is that, in this moment, you can intentionally lift your heart to Jesus and say, ’Lord I choose your life today.’

Prayer – Help me choose to live today in the fullness of your Life.