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“Then the Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to tend keep it.”
—Genesis 2:15
God’s plan was never to leave the earth on its own. Every living thing serves a unique purpose in maintaining God’s Kingdom. He planted forests, grasslands, flowers, and reeds all over the planet… not just for beauty, but to keep the soil together, and to multiply the seeds planted.
In the desert where few plants grow, the wind scatters sands across the wasteland, taking nutrients with it—making it harder for life to continue.
God created plants before animals, because plants are the foundation of most ecosystems. He laid the land to prepare for man.
God created the sun and the stars in the heavens, so that there could be light on the earth for vegetation to use to make energy and produce fruit and seeds… but in God’s infinite wisdom, He also created living creatures to carry the seeds across the land, to make forests thrive and the ground green with life.
In the grand scheme of things, God intricately placed and created all life-forms to feed, nurture, and thrive in perfect harmony.
Nature is an autonomous system by design. So why would God need to put mankind on His earth to take care of it?
The reason is, that He wanted us to enjoy His blessings of a bountiful, unique, and perfect creation. His design is that we would partner with Him to cultivate and be good stewards of what is His, so that we can enjoy in abundance—and glorify Him.
God gave us free will to partner with His vision and mission for the world around us… this includes all forms of life. It comes full circle. When we answer the call of partnership—responding by being good stewards—the land gives back, and we are provided for.
We must undo the damage done
“I brought you into a bountiful country, to eat its fruit and its goodness. But when you entered, you defiled My land and made My heritage an abomination.”—Jeremiah 2:7
God has given the world to us. Are we handling the gift with responsible hands and hearts?
When God put us in the Garden of Eden, we ate from the forbidden tree. When God inspired us to build ships to sail across the ocean, we set out to conquer the land—cutting down its trees and gutting its mountains of resources.
When we take more than what God intends to provide for us, we are meddling with God’s system. This causes an imbalance in nature. It can lead to desertification, extinction, and a decrease in the quality of our lives.
Our technology has given us the potential to enhance the quality of our lives, if we use it responsibly…but when we use it irresponsibly, we invite catastrophe into our world. With modern technology comes power. It's up to us how we use it.
It's taken time to get where we are; however, today we have knowledge available to us at a molecular level we’ve never had before. In our human history, we have cut down forests to build factories, dumped waste into water, and covered skies with smog.
But we can be the change today, that shapes the future of our world. We can’t unlearn what we now know—so this leads us to a crossroads. What will we do? Take steps to restore what was, or continue as we are?
We have a chance to not only plant for the environment, but also plant for people. The olive trees we plant have the ability to strengthen the soil for tomorrow, nurture a life today, and honor those in our past.
“…For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.”—Matthew 6:32-33
All we have to do is choose to support the movement toward restoration.
Supporting the stewards of the earth
God has chosen us to be stewards of the earth. Not only do we protect the land and keep it clean, but we also restore it.
Imagine living in a world where you can drink water straight from a river again. A world where desert wastelands are transformed into abundant gardens. A world where the air is pure and clean.
That’s the world that the stewards are cultivating. Starting in Israel, spreading everywhere.
My Olive Tree was a project that began with the Negev Desert in mind—our goal has been to transform it by planting millions of trees. The trees would not be able to grow in the desert alone, but we provide them with water so they can thrive and plant their roots deep into the soil, which begins the transformation… Find out how by clicking here.
Investing in the Future
Now, we realize that the impact we’re having on transforming the deserts in Israel could benefit more than just the Holy Land. Investing in the success of Israel contributes to the success of the entire world.
The care that stewards put into the land, and the care that we put into every sponsored olive tree, reflects the attention that God put into creating the planet for us. The more we appreciate and understand God’s systems that keep the natural world alive, the better we can help Him maintain the health of our home.
It’s time for us to show God that we are ready to make the right choice, that we appreciate His gift, and we will work so that life can go on. Read more about our story, and find out how you can invest in the success of the stewards in Israel by downloading our free investment guide!
