Life between the trees

Today our devotions will take a different flare.  A new year tends to bring new beginnings.  We're going to start at the beginning, Genesis, and work our way through the bible chronologically.  This morning brought me to the first few chapters of Genesis, and one thing jumped out at me - trees.

It's kind of easy to overlook them, or at least to not give them much time or thought; but the trees in Genesis are probably two of the most important things in this account.  Genesis 2:9 tells of these two trees: In the middle of the garden were the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

I have to wonder, what do we do between the trees?  I mean our lives are lived out between these two trees.  The tree of knowledge is the one that affects us everyday.  It's the tree that brought sin into the world.  We should be constantly reminded of this tree every time we stub out toe, have a headache, suffer any kind of pain, have a sleepless night, worry, get anxious, are afraid, and the list goes on.  You see this tree's fruit was all things evil.  The fruit itself didn't look bad.  The bible actually said it look pleasing to the eye and good for food, much like the things that cause us harm today.  They don't look bad at first, but once we're knee deep into them we realize that we've just taken a big bite from this tree's fruit. 

But the other tree is even more important.  In all my years in church and Sunday School I never heard anyone really give this second tree much time.  It was just pushed aside as if it didn't really matter, but I believe that this second tree is of great importance to us.  You see this tree's fruit is life.  Not perfection.  Not forgiveness. Not restoration.  But life - just the way you are kind of life.  That's why God had to remove Adam and Eve from the garden.  He didn't want them to eat that fruit and life forever in that fearful and sinful condition. 

The tree of life should remind us of the tree that Jesus died on.  It was a tree that gave us eternal life.  It was through Jesus' death on a tree that we are guaranteed life.  So how do you live between the trees?  Do you live as if it's all over?  Or do you live as if everything is starting over again?  The tree of life is about a new start.  When Jesus died and rose he gave us a new start.  He erased all of the old stuff.  He removed the penalties for the tree of knowledge and restored us. 

Today, I hope that you see a tree or two.  I hope that these trees remind you of the God who saved you and promises you heaven all because of a tree.  Lord, show us your presence today.  Amen.