The Tree of Life Throughline
Verse
Genesis 2:9
“In the middle of the garden were the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.”
Revelation 22:2
“And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations.”
Reflection
The Bible opens and closes with a tree. This is not a coincidence. It is a throughline. The Tree of Life stands at the center of the biblical story, revealing the arc of God’s heart from creation to restoration.
In Genesis, the Tree of Life represents life received through trust and relationship. Humanity was invited to live from God’s presence rather than striving for control. Power was shared. Leadership was stewardship. Life was a gift.
When trust fractures, the story bends. Humanity reaches for life on its own terms, and power becomes distorted. Control replaces communion. Domination replaces mutuality. Genesis names this not as God’s design, but as the consequence of broken relationship.
The story bends again at another tree. At the cross, Jesus Christ does not grasp power. He releases it. He does not protect himself. He gives himself away. What was once a symbol of death becomes the place where life is restored. The tree that bore a curse becomes the tree through which blessing flows.
By the time we reach Revelation, the Tree of Life stands open again. Its leaves bring healing not only to individuals, but to the nations. The biblical arc is complete. Life offered. Life lost. Life given. Life restored.
This throughline reshapes how we live and how we lead. True power is not found in control, force, or dominance. It is found in presence, responsibility, and self-giving love. Leadership rooted in the Tree of Life asks a different question. What helps life flourish here?
Steps
Begin the day by acknowledging God as your source of life rather than your own effort.
Notice where you feel tempted to control outcomes instead of trusting God’s timing.
Practice one act of leadership or influence that prioritizes presence over productivity.
Release one outcome you have been gripping too tightly.
End the day by naming where you saw fruit grow slowly rather than instantly.
Journal
Where in my life am I trying to seize life instead of receiving it?
How does the Tree of Life challenge my understanding of power and leadership?
What would change if I trusted the biblical arc rather than rushing the outcome?
Where might God be inviting me to cultivate life instead of control
Prayer
God of life,
You are the beginning and the end of the story.
You offer life freely and restore what has been broken.
Forgive me for the ways I reach for control instead of resting in your presence.
Teach me to live and lead from the Tree of Life.
Help me trust the throughline of your work from Genesis to Revelation.
May my life bear fruit that brings healing to those around me.
In the Mighty Name of Jesus, I pray, Amen.
