Leaves are beautiful to look at, they come in all shapes and sizes. The image of the leaf itself is not as important as the function of the leaf in Hebrew thought. Leaves are used as metaphors in scripture to allude to flourishing, decaying and restoring. The righteous are often compared to green leaves (Jer.17:8/ Ps.52:8/ Prov.11:28). Green represents life, growth, fruitfulness and prosperity in scripture. 

Leaves have several functions as shown in this piece. They cover and provide shade; they are a sign of hope and new beginnings and lastly, they provide food and healing (Daniel 4:12-Nebuchadnezzar/ Rev.22:2).

How do we measure (the ruler in the background on the left) the health of a leaf? We measure it by how they stay connected and gain nourishment from the tree roots. Veins in the leave provide support as they transport both water, minerals and food energy through the leaf and the rest of the plant. Jesus being the source of Living Water. 

The background has leaves that have changed color representing those that have done on before us. 

The scripture inspiration is from Zech.3:10 which says,  “In that day, declares the LORD of hosts, every one of you will invite his neighbor to come under his vine and fig tree.” 

In these times as the body of Christ, it is so important to stay connected to Jesus and be examples of healthy leaves. In doing that we can function to be life, healing, food and a source of shelter to our neighbors in need. The context of the verse in Zechariah is the Messiah’s ultimate prophetic reign when the Lord removes the iniquity of Israel in one single day, there will be peace and prosperity everywhere. Believers inviting others to partake in this invitation and blessings. Enjoy!