Introduction

Have you ever hugged a tree? I hadn’t until fairly recently. On a Boxing Day walk with my sons and their partners, one of the girls suggested, ‘Let’s hug a tree!’ The males of the group, sadly, weren’t interested, but we girls hugged away!

Scientists talk about the many benefits of tree hugging – reducing stress, bringing calmness, boosting mood, and even improving the function of the immune system.[1] So, if you have the opportunity, go on, hug a tree! I thoroughly recommend it!

Trees, of course, have been around longer than human beings (see Genesis 1:11, 26), and they are vital for life on planet Earth. The whole ecosystem would collapse if the delicate balance of nature were to be upset, as we all know. I’m not a scientist, and my knowledge is extremely limited, but when I think about creation, the intricacies, the incredible details for every single plant, tree, animal, bird, fish, human being… it blows my mind! And all this from the mind and the hand of our awesome God!

I have my husband, Pete, to thank for the idea for this book (and, of course, God for prompting him). As Pete often does, he made an observation that sparked something in my mind: ‘God often speaks to you through trees, doesn’t He?’ God has indeed often given me words and pictures that relate to trees. So I pondered on it for a while, and felt the prompting to share some of these words and pictures more widely. A few of these reflections therefore stem from some of those words and pictures that I believe God has given to me. Others have come from a place of curiosity: what is the significance of the tree that God gives and takes away from Jonah in chapter 4 of the eponymous Bible book, for example? Why are fig trees mentioned so often in the Bible, and what do they symbolise? Why does Jesus liken the kingdom of God to a mustard tree? The answers to these questions, and many more, have fascinated me as I have delved deeper, and I am excited to share my discoveries with you. As well as bringing physical benefits, these reflections demonstrate that trees bring us great spiritual benefits as well.

There is one reflection that has only a loose connection to trees, but it’s set in a garden, so I hope you will forgive the tenuous link!

How to use this book

As with other devotionals, this book offers a Bible passage for each day with a key verse to reflect on. I then offer some of my own thoughts and reflections and some questions for either personal or group study. These questions are offered simply as prompts for your own thoughts and prayers. They are not prescriptive, and you are free to pick and choose the ones you wish to focus on. And they are interchangeable – you might wish to discuss one of the personal questions in a group, or vice versa.

If you are reading a print copy of the book, the final page of each reflection is offered for you to write or draw your own responses, should you wish to. If you are reading the Kindle version, you might wish to keep a notebook handy to jot down your thoughts and responses. Sometimes writing or journalling can help us to process our thoughts. Again, this is for you to use in whatever way works for you.

I hope and pray that you will be blessed by these trees, just as I have been.

Day 1

Drinking from the river

Read

Psalm 1

That person is like a tree planted by streams of water,
which yields its fruit in season
and whose leaf does not wither –
whatever they do prospers.
(Psalm 1:3)

The tree in this psalm is in the perfect spot to grow and be fruitful, located beside a gurgling, flowing river. I imagine this river to be beautifully clear, so that as we lean over to look into it, we can see the stones and the water plants on the riverbed. Perhaps we can see fish swimming along. The river is a constant source of refreshment and life, even in dry seasons; it is an endless supply of water for the tree to drink from. Because of its location by this river, the leaves of this tree don’t wilt or fall, and it bears good fruit at the appointed time.

This is such a lovely metaphor for life! If only we could feel like that all the time! How amazing would it be to know that we could be constantly refreshed, that our ‘leaves’ wouldn’t wither and that we would bear good fruit. Well, the Bible says that we really can be like that – even in the dry seasons of our lives.

If we look back at verse 2 of this psalm, the writer says that the river from which this ‘tree’ drinks is ‘the law of the Lord’. The blessed person is fed by God’s Word, the Bible. God’s Word sustains us through all the seasons of our lives, so that we can bear good fruit for His kingdom. But how does God’s Word ‘feed’ us? Again, verse 2 says that the blessed person is the one who ‘meditates’ on God’s Word. To meditate on Scripture is to read it in a way that allows it to transform us, and to live in obedience to what it says.

Obedience is the key for a fruitful life, and God’s Word gives us guidelines for how to live our lives. We need to make sure we read it regularly and become really familiar with it. That way, when temptations, difficulties and struggles come, we are well equipped to deal with them, just as Jesus was when He was tempted in the wilderness (Luke 4:1-13). If we allow God to shape us and change us through His Word, His Holy Spirit in us transforms us and makes us more Christlike, so that our automatic reactions and instincts will be more godly.

There’s a saying, ‘You are what you eat.’ It means, of course, that if we want to be healthy, we need to fill our bodies with the right kinds of food and drink. The same applies to our spiritual lives: if we want to be spiritually healthy, we need to fill our minds and souls with the right kinds of ‘food’ and ‘drink’. God’s Word is the best ‘food’ and ‘drink’ for our spiritual lives, and it enables us to grow strong and healthy and to bear the right kind of fruit. The apostle Paul gives us some examples of the fruit of God’s Holy Spirit living and working in us: ‘love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control’ (Galatians 5:22-23).

For personal reflection

• Choose a short psalm, such as Psalm 15, 93 or 121, and stay with it every day for a week. Read or listen to it several times a day, perhaps in different Bible versions, and think about what each verse is saying. Don’t rush it. Close your eyes and let your mind wander a little as you reflect and ask God to guide your thoughts.
• Pick one aspect of the fruit of the Spirit from Galatians 5:22-23 and think about what bearing that fruit might look like in your life.
• ‘Obedience is the key for a fruitful life.’ Is there an area of your life where you find it difficult to be obedient to God? Bring that to Him now in prayer.

For group study

• Choose a short psalm, such as Psalm 15, 93 or 121, and read it together, slowly and prayerfully. Then spend a short time in individual silent reflection. Discuss anything you feel God might be saying.
• Is there any aspect of the fruit of the Spirit from Galatians 5:22-23 that you particularly struggle with? Talk this through and pray for one another, that God’s Holy Spirit will help you to cultivate that fruit.
• Chat about things you have found helpful in your own Bible-reading practice. Sharing our own experiences can be hugely beneficial for others.

Prayer

Lord, thank You for Your Word, the Bible. Thank You that it gives us a solid foundation for living our lives. Help me to allow it to transform me, that I might bear good fruit. Amen.

Day 2

Falling blossom

Read

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8

There is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity under the heavens:
… a time to keep and a time to throw away.
(Ecclesiastes 3:1, 6)

God often speaks to me through pictures; sometimes they’re like little film clips that land in my mind. On this particular occasion I had a picture of a tree, full of pink blossom. It was really beautiful, swaying gently in the breeze. But as I watched, a strong wind began to blow. Some of the blossom was blown off the tree, but not all of it. As the wind died down again, some of the blossom remained, and, despite the losses, the tree was just as beautiful as before.

I asked God what He wanted to say to me through this picture, and I felt it was this. The blossom represents all the elements of our lives – relationships, work, possessions, ministries, hobbies, habits and so on. As the wind blows and the tree is shaken, some of the blossom falls off. We often experience events that shake us, and perhaps some of the ‘blossom’ falls away in the process. We don’t always have control over the things in our lives that fall away; neither do we always know what is right to hold on to. But in the shaking, we can trust that God knows which of the ‘blossoms’ we need to let go of.

The writer of Ecclesiastes reminds us that there is ‘a time for everything’ – including letting go. Human beings have a tendency to accumulate. That might be an accumulation of possessions, but it might also be an accumulation of tasks, obligations, things that we ‘need’ or ‘ought’ to do. Sometimes we allow ourselves to get so busy that we lose sight of why we’re doing certain things. At times, God allows us to be gently shaken (although it might not always feel so gentle in the moment!) to remind us of what’s important.

Letting go can be painful. Habits can be deeply ingrained. Jobs and ministries can be really enjoyable. We like spending time with certain people. But sometimes God wants us to make changes in our lives. Perhaps we have a particular habit that isn’t good for us. Maybe it’s simply time to move on from a task or role – not because it’s wrong, but because God wants to make space for something else. Maybe a relationship is destructive, causing us harm, or even causing us to sin.

The shaking can be scary. It can leave us feeling insecure, unsettled. But the tree will withstand the storm because it is deeply rooted. The branches might be blown about in the wind, but the trunk stands firm because the tree is secure. Our roots are firmly planted in Jesus, and while we might feel a little wind-battered at times, that will encourage us to push them down even more deeply in Him. Some of the blossom might fall but, as long as we keep pushing into God, we can trust that He will only allow to fall away the things that need to go. And, actually, the blossom that remains, symbolising the fruit that is to come, will be all the better for the tree having let go of the other blossom.

For personal reflection

• Is there anything in your life that God might be asking you to allow to fall away?
• Reflect on some of your habits – particularly those that are most deeply ingrained. Are any of them unhealthy for you? Ask God for the strength to break those. Maybe talk and pray with a trusted friend about this.
• How does it feel to be ‘shaken’ and to let go of things? Acknowledge your feelings and take them to God.

For group study

• Think about a time when you have been ‘shaken’ and God has brought changes to your life as a result. Chat with the group about how that felt, both at the time and now as you look back. Is your perspective different now?
• Read Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 together. Do any of the verses feel particularly relevant at this time of your life? Share with the group why you think this might be.
• How do we know if a ‘shaking’ in our life is from God? How can we discern whether it’s right to allow a particular ‘blossom’ to fall?

Prayer

Father God, thank You that when we are deeply rooted in You, we know that we are safe, no matter how strongly the wind might blow. Help us to push our roots even more deeply into Your foundation, and to be willing to let things go, according to Your will for our lives. Amen.

[1] ‘The Benefits of Hugging Trees’, Forest Healing, 22nd May 2022, www.forest-healing.co.uk/articles/benefits-of-hugging-trees (accessed 23rd January 2026).