Cat Stevens: "King of Trees"

Did you ever have a tree which was special to you? One tree at Jericho Hill School for the Deaf and Blind was precious to me. I liked sitting in its branches, surrounded by its amber leaves. It was balm for my lonely soul. I felt heartbroken when the school cut it down to make way for a sunken garden.

Listen to this song about a special tree here:

Trees figure prominently in the Bible. For example, we know about the tree of good and evil which Adam and Eve ate of its fruit. What many believers don't know is the reason for keeping our federal parents from the tree of life.

Imagine the horror of living forever in a sin-cursed body. That's what God saved humanity from when he said in Genesis 3:22 (Bible in Basic English). "And the Lord God said, 'Now the man has become like one of us, having knowledge of good and evil; and now if he puts out his hand and takes of the fruit of the tree of life, he will go on living for ever.'"

Jesus likened us to trees in Matthew 7:18 (BBE) in regard to our conduct. "It is not possible for a good tree to give bad fruit, and a bad tree will not give good fruit."

We also see in Daniel 4:13 (BBE) how God gave Nebuchadnezzar a prophetic dream about a giant tree. "In the visions of my head on my bed I saw a watcher, a holy one, coming down from heaven, Crying out with a loud voice; and this is what he said: 'Let the tree be cut down and its branches broken off; let its leaves be taken off and its fruit sent in every direction: let the beasts get away from under it and the birds from its branches: But keep its broken end and its roots still in the earth, even with a band of iron and brass; let him have the young grass of the field for food, and let him be wet with the dew of heaven, and let his part be with the beasts.'" This was fulfilled when the King praised himself for making his great city.

A day will come when Christ perfects us and makes us fit for the new Jerusalem. As Revelation 22:14 (BBE) promises, "A blessing on those whose robes are washed, so that they may have a right to the tree of life, and may go in by the doors into the town."

If our blessed Saviour hasn't come for us by Monday, I'll show how cruelty can be kind.