July 6 Daily Devotional

Monthly Theme:

By God’s Word and Spirit the world was made, and he uses the same tools to rebuild the creaking cosmos. God does not save some souls from the wreckage of the planet; instead, the whole groaning creation must be delivered from bondage by the love and power of God.

Bible Reading:

Genesis 2:4–9

Bible Text:

In the middle of the garden were the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (Gen. 2:9).

Devotional:

The history of the human race began in paradise. It was a garden of communion where God taught Adam and Even how to live. The garden had many trees that were "pleasing to the eye and good for food"—that is, they were both beautiful and useful (v. 9).

"In the middle of the garden were the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil." The first tree is a sign that God provides life. Human beings remain dependent because God is the source of their lives. Apart from God we have no life. The other tree represents a test if our obedience. We live as long as we obey. We eat from the the tree cf life as long as we love and obey our God.

The day our parents disobeyed we died. We lost life because we broke communion with God.

The early Christians called the cross on which Jesus died "the tree." They often said that the cross was the second tree of life God planted. It was s horrible tree, of course. The tree in the garden was verdant, fruit-bearing, and beautiful. The tree on Golgotha was bare, harsh, and ugly. But the dead cross became a tree of life. to all who believe.

To those who live and die in the shadow of the cross, Christ promises "the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God" (Rev. 2:7).

Andrew Kuyvenhoven's Daylight, a modern devotional classic, was originally published in 1994. This edition is copyright by Faith Alive Christian Resources, from whom may be ordered Daylight, the predecessor of Twilight.

A man of many accomplishments, Andrew Kuyvenhoven is probably best known for his contributions to Today (formerly The Family Altar), a widely-used monthly devotional booklet associated with the Back to God Hour. Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations for this edition of Twilight are from the New International Version

Be sure to read the "Preface" and the "Acknowledgments" by the author.