Tuesday, August 31, 2021 Submitted by Donnie O’Fallon
The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life ... Proverbs 11:30
Fruitful Christians
When Marsha and I moved to Springtown two years ago, there were five trees on our one-acre property. Two in the back, at the lower fence and three in the front yard but none close to the house. We enjoy their shade and coolness of trees from the Texas heat, sitting under their branches in certain seasons of the year. So, we planted eight more trees in our back yard closer to the house. We had to water them several days a-week for several months to get them started. They are flourishing today, having grown in height, new branches, and leaves form the watering.
The Psalmist said in Psalms 1:3 something about a righteous man: He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yield their fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers. What a beautiful analogy of the Christian life that is tethered to the “river of life,” that flows within every Child of God.
Jesus, speaking to his disciples and to all who heard his message, made some rather dogmatic statements and divisions, when He would say something like this: Being saved … or lost; children of light … children of darkness; assurance of / or not. He spoke of a broad path that led to destruction … a straight and narrower path which leads to life; a foolish man who built on a sandy foundation … a wise man who built on a sure foundation. There is a distinction the Scriptures make of the spiritual man and the carnal man. Jesus also said, I am the vine, and you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. John 15:5. Staying connected to God is one of His immutable laws.
Let me illustrate this analogy of a tree. There is a giant Sequoia tree in California named, “General Sherman.” It stands more than 272 feet tall, 79 feet in circumference, and has enough wood in it to build thirty-five (35) houses. Compare that to a Japanese Bonsai Tree. Its tap root is clipper, new growth is trimmed away, the small hair roots are also constantly being trimmed so that it cannot grow, so it stays the same size 12” to 18” high. It became a mere novelty tree. Here’s a bit of irony, the seed of both these trees, the Sequoia and the Bonsai are the same size and weight, one - three hundredth of an ounce, (1/300 of an ounce). The difference in in how they are planted and nurtured. General Sherman, 272 feet tall and the Bonsai, only 18 inches tall.
What’s your like life? Where have you planted it and how are you nurturing it? Are you connected to the source of life? Stop trying, start trusting and stay connected to Him daily!
