Erosion of Devotion

Erosion of devotion happens when we begin to eat off of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil and stop eating from the Tree of Life.

Erosion — the gradual destruction or diminution of something.
It’s not an immediate collapse; it’s a slow fade. A heart that once burned with passion for God begins to cool, not from rebellion, but from distraction.
Devotion — love, loyalty, or enthusiasm for a person, activity, or cause.
True devotion to God is sustained through communion—through relationship, not routine. It’s when our hearts stay tethered to His presence, not just His principles.

Two Trees

The Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil symbolizes the human desire to decide apart from God—to define right and wrong without His counsel.
It represents self-reliance, pride, and the illusion of wisdom. Eating from this tree brought death—not just physical death, but spiritual separation.

The Tree of Life, on the other hand, was a divine source of eternal life and spiritual sustenance.
It represented God’s wisdom, His righteousness, His presence. Revelation describes it again, saying,
“The leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations.” (Revelation 22:2)
But after Adam and Eve sinned, humanity was banished from the Garden of Eden and cut off from the Tree of Life.

​God gave Adam and Eve access to every tree but one. His command was simple:
“You may freely eat the fruit of every tree in the garden—except the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. If you eat its fruit, you are sure to die.”
— Genesis 2:16–17
This wasn’t restriction; it was protection.

The Tree of Life kept them connected to the source of life itself — God.
The Tree of Knowledge represented a choice: Will you trust God’s wisdom, or will you seek your own?

They chose to go against God.
Erosion began with a whisper.
The serpent approached Eve and said,
“Did God really say you must not eat from any tree in the garden?”
— Genesis 3:1

With that question, doubt was planted. The enemy didn’t need to destroy her devotion—he only needed to distort it.
Eve looked at the fruit and saw that it was:

1. Good for food (appeal to appetite),
2. Pleasing to the eye (appeal to desire), and
3. Desirable for gaining wisdom (appeal to pride).

She ate and gave some to Adam, who was with her. The moment they disobeyed, the erosion became evident. Shame entered. Innocence vanished. Fellowship broke.
“Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves.”
— Genesis 3:7

The act of eating wasn’t just rebellion—it was reliance on self. They wanted knowledge without relationship, wisdom without submission, life without the Giver of Life.
Ans so God placed cherubim and a flaming sword to guard the way, not out of cruelty, but mercy—so that humanity would not eat and live forever in a fallen state.

Restoration Through Christ

But God, in His mercy, had already planned redemption.
Where Adam and Eve failed in the garden, Jesus triumphed in the wilderness.
He resisted the same temptations—appetite, pride, and power—by clinging to God’s Word.
Then He said something remarkable:
“I am the True Vine, and My Father is the Gardener.”
— John 15:1
inviting us once again into divine fellowship.
Through Him, we are reconnected to the very life source humanity was separated from in Eden.
“Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.” — John 15:4
In Christ, the Tree of Life is not a distant hope—it’s a present invitation.
We now have access to life, wisdom, and healing through intimate communion with Him.
Now, through His sacrifice, we are once again invited to eat from the Tree of Life—no longer through our works, but through His grace.
“Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the Tree of Life.”
— Revelation 22:14

Eating from the Right Tree

Every day, we face the same choice as Adam and Eve did. We choose which tree we’ll eat from.
Will we feed our minds with opinions, pride, and human reasoning?
Or will we feed our spirits through prayer, worship, and obedience—drawing from the True Vine?

The erosion of devotion doesn’t begin with sin; it begins with substitution.
When we substitute knowledge for relationship, busyness for being, logic for love, we slowly drift away from the presence that sustains us.

But when we return to the Vine, when we draw near to the Tree of Life, devotion is restored. Passion returns. Healing flows. Life begins again.

Father, forgive me for the times I’ve sought knowledge over intimacy.
When I’ve tried to figure out what only faith can receive.
Teach me to eat from the Tree of Life—to abide in You, the True Vine.
Let my devotion be renewed and my heart fully restored to You.
Lord, keep my heart from erosion.
Guard me from the temptation to live by knowledge instead of intimacy.
Restore in me the devotion that delights in Your presence more than understanding.
In Jesus’ name, amen.