Desert Tree
Photography
By Curt Welty
Genesis 1:29-30
And God said, “Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit. You shall have them for food. And to every beast of the earth and to every bird of the heavens and to everything that creeps on the earth, everything that has the breath of life, I have given every green plant for food.” And it was so.
Trees make life possible. They provide shade, beauty, and numerous other gifts. Jesus said, “I am the light of the world.” A tree naturally seeks light. We can follow their example and seek the Light of the world. Before Bibles came in book form, the Scriptures were written on scrolls. The handles of these scrolls were called the “etz hayim,” Hebrew for “tree of life.” There is a tree on the first page of Genesis and on the last page of Revelation. The first Psalm exhorts believers to be like a tree. Many major characters and theological events have a tree marking the spot.