In the garden God planted, he causes trees to grow that are pleasing to the eye and good for food — abundance that is both beautiful and nourishing. Among them are two trees given special identification: the tree of life in the middle of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. These two trees are not merely botanical curiosities; they are the moral architecture of the garden. The tree of life represents the gift of sustained communion with God, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil represents a boundary — a test of whether the image-bearer will trust God's definition of good. Proverbs 3:18 describes wisdom as a tree of life, and Revelation 22:2 returns the tree of life to the center of the new creation. Today's application: every day you encounter versions of these two trees — the invitation to trust God's definition of what is good versus the temptation to define it yourself. Name one area of your life where you are currently being asked to trust God's word over your own judgment.

COMMUNITY REFLECTIONS

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