When Adam was walking with God in the garden, God showed him all the trees He had planted for the man to tend.

Two trees in the middle of the garden were mentioned, the Tree of Life, and the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil.

“You can eat from all the trees in the garden, but you shall not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, because eating from that one will bring death.”

But, that was okay. There were plenty of trees…all filled with good fruit.

(I love you….Do you believe Me…do you trust Me…do you love Me?)

………………..

“What’s the deal? God told you not to eat this stuff?”

“Oh, no. We can eat all of it. Well, all except that one.” She pointed to the one in the middle of the garden.

“Hmmm. Interesting. I wonder why not that one?”

“He said we would die.” She had a questioning look on her face.

“You believe that? Seriously? You’re not going to die. He just doesn’t want you to know the stuff he knows. You can be like him, you know. Why, that’s probably the best fruit in the whole garden!”

“Really? But He said…” She looked at the fruit…it looked better than all the other fruit.

“Believe me…you’re not going to die…you can trust me.”

She tasted, she chewed, she swallowed.
She gave some to her husband.

He tasted, he chewed, he swallowed.

Something changed…they felt…different…nervous…afraid…alone.

“Man! Where are you? Why are you hiding? Did you eat from that tree?”

“Well, the woman you gave me…”

“The serpent…it was the serpent!”

“You have chosen your own right and wrong!
What you have chosen, you shall have.
You have chosen
not to believe Me,
not to trust Me,
not to love Me.
You have chosen death,
Not Life.
You must now leave My garden, to follow the path of your own choosing.”

(And yet, I will always love you. I will make a way for you to choose to love Me.)

He gave them skins to cover their nakedness and watched them leave the garden, never having had the chance to taste the fruit of the other tree.

The tree of Life.

The tree of Love.

AGAPE.