“And God said, ‘Let the earth sprout vegetation, plants yielding seed, and fruit trees bearing fruit in which is their seed, each according to its kind, on the earth.’ And it was so.” — Genesis 1:11
Genesis 1:11 is more than an observation about nature, it is the architecture of reality. This verse declares that everything contains its future within itself, encoded as seed. That seed carries not just form but nature—each produces after its kind. This is the metaphysical law behind all creation: you experience not what you wish for, but what you are.
When viewed through Neville Goddard’s teachings, this verse emerges as the pattern for every transformation story in Scripture. It also introduces—implicitly but unmistakably—the two trees of Eden: the Tree of Life and the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. These are not botanical curiosities; they are spiritual metaphors, each representing the full-grown result of a specific inner state.
The Seed in Itself: Consciousness Bears Fruit
Neville taught that imagination is the only creative power, and every outer condition is the outpicturing of an inner assumption. Genesis 1:11 affirms this: what you carry inwardly reproduces itself, in form and quality. The world is not imposed on you—it is grown from you. This is what Neville Goddard meant when he said,
"The world is you pushed out"
A fearful assumption produces a fearful world. A confident assumption produces a life of favour. The seed cannot betray its nature. It does not “learn” what to become—it simply unfolds what it already is.
This is the silent law behind every life experience, and it’s not retributive but causative. You reap because you sow.
"The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.
Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver." — 2 Corinthians 9:6-7
Cheerful giving is first defined in Genesis 4:4-7 under sin
Eden: The Trees as Conscious Pathways
In Eden, the seed principle becomes story. The garden is the mind, and at its centre are two trees, representing two modes of consciousness:
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The Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil is the outgrowth of duality—of seeing the world as divided, external, and full of opposites. It represents the mind that reacts, judges, and sees itself at the mercy of circumstance.
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The Tree of Life stands for unity, creative faith, and inner causation. It is the life-giving imagination used with purpose and trust—the assumption of the wish fulfilled.
Both trees are grown from seed—the inner perception that leads to them. This is why the verse says “fruit trees bearing fruit in which is their seed.” Your inner state is always sowing. What grows depends on what you’ve planted.
Isaiah demonstrates the posture of determined faith that readers are encouraged to adopt in 'Ask, Receive, Believe' in the following passage:
“For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return there but water the earth,
making it bring forth and sprout,
giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater,
so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth;
it shall not return to me empty,
but it shall accomplish that which I purpose,
and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it." — Isaiah 55:10-11 ESV
Trees Across Scripture: The Seed Principle in Action
The Bible continues to use trees as markers of spiritual state—evidence that seeded consciousness becomes visible form. Consider these examples:
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Nebuchadnezzar’s tree in Daniel 4: the great tree seen in his dream symbolised his dominion—an outward expression of his self-image. When that self-image became inflated, the tree was cut down. His fall was not punishment; it was the result of the seed of pride maturing into consequence.
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Jesus and the fig tree (Mark 11): Jesus finds the fig tree with no fruit and curses it, and it withers. This isn’t anger—it’s symbolic. A state of being that offers no real nourishment—no fruit—cannot be sustained. What is lifeless within must pass away.
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Psalm 1 describes the blessed man as “a tree planted by rivers of water,” whose leaf does not wither. Why? Because “his delight is in the law of the Lord”—the spiritual law that consciousness creates reality. He meditates day and night—sowing deliberately.
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In Revelation 22, the tree of life reappears, bearing fruit each month, its leaves “for the healing of the nations.” This is not a future location, but a healed consciousness, consistently yielding the fruit of inner alignment.
Trees in Scripture are never background—they are symbolic confirmations that the inner world becomes the outer form. They are the mature embodiment of seed—of assumption.
Every Story Grows from Genesis 1:11
The pattern set in Genesis 1:11 never breaks; it underlies Jesus’ well-known saying:
"Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.” — Matthew 17:20
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Abraham’s promise: “So shall your seed be” (Genesis 15:5). Abraham’s entire life becomes the unfolding of this seed—faith in the unseen.
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Joseph’s journey: His dream is the seed. Betrayal, imprisonment, and elevation are the unfolding. His life, like a tree, is rooted in a vision, not in conditions.
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The Kingdom parables of Jesus: “The Kingdom of God is as if a man should cast seed into the ground...” (Mark 4:26). The whole mystery of spiritual growth is illustrated through hidden seed becoming visible fruit.
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The crucifixion itself: Neville saw this as the fixing of an assumption—the moment when a new identity is planted so deeply in imagination that it must rise again in changed form. The cross is the planting; the resurrection is the fruit.
Made in His Image: To Imagine Is to Sow
“So God created man in his own image...” — Genesis 1:27
To be made in God’s image is to imagine, to choose, to sow. You are not here to passively observe creation. You are the one sowing the seed by every assumption, thought, and emotional tone you hold.
This is why Neville urged students to stop blaming the world. The outer is never first. The seed is first. And the seed is in you.
Let It Be So
Genesis 1:11 ends with the simple phrase: “And it was so.” No delay. No effort. Assumption accepted, manifestation follows.
This is the rhythm of spiritual creation. You are the earth. Your inner state is the seed. The life that grows around you is the tree.
You do not need permission, signs, or ideal conditions. The seed already exists in you. The trees of Scripture—from Eden to Daniel, from Psalms to Revelation—stand as witnesses to this truth: you are sowing your future now.
"As in water face reflects face,
so the heart of man reflects the man." — Proverbs 27:19 ESV