Hannah and I recently returned from a brief trip to Florida for her yearly family reunion. She is one of six children, so it’s a large gathering with all the grandchildren included. One of the things we do is gather every morning. We begin with an extended time of devotional sharing, and everyone takes a turn expressing what’s on their hearts.

Picture if you will this beautiful couple in their 60s, who’ve served God for most of their lives. They’ve been blessed financially, have their big family all around them, and they love the Lord. Add cinnamon rolls, coffee, and all other essentials, and you’ve got yourself the perfect recipe for a wonderful time with the Lord!

On the last day, it was Hannah’s mom’s turn to share this great revelation she had. As the matriarch, you could see her looking at the future generations. I could tell that she’d been waiting to share all week, and she was excited: “In life, I’ve learned that sometimes as Christians we eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, and other times we eat from the tree of life.” She implored everyone to eat from the tree of life. 

Friend, I knew instantly what she meant, we are to eat of the spirit of God. Let the spirit of God nourish your heart and your soul. There’s a danger when you’re nourished by the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. This tree gives mankind access to intelligence, understanding, and wisdom without being appropriately connected to God. By partaking of this tree it’s easy to fall into the traps of worldly intellectualization or philosophical systems.