Matthew 7:17 says Every healthy tree bears good fruit, but a diseased tree bears bad fruit. That makes sense. Jeremiah 17:8 tells us that The one who trusts in God is like a tree that is planted by the water, who puts his roots in that water. When hot days come he will remain green and when dry, thirsty drought days come he will continue to bear good fruit. He is a healthy tree.
We know that when a tree's roots reach deep seeking water it draws in the moisture and nourishment. Eventually that food becomes part of every part of that tree on the cellular level. In fact, the rings in the tree tell the story of years of plenty and years of want.
The Creator of the human brain, the One who fully understands exactly how it works wants us to understand that we really are what we eat and He has provided His words, the Living Water to feed our souls and protect our minds. When we consume it, it integrates into our whole being. It becomes who we are. His spirit nature dilutes our spirit nature and the fruit we begin to produce looks more like His: Our words sound more like Love. Our actions look more like Love. He desires us to have robust health in every aspect of our lives - physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. He desires that we live joy filled, vibrant, orderly, creative, productive and peace filled lives.
On the contrary, the enemy of our souls and minds is hell bent on destruction. He uses the plethora of distractions that our culture offers to keep us from finding the Truth and good news of life. He works tirelessly to keep us in a chaotic, dis-eased, crazed, anxious, noisy and hopeless state. If we have shallow roots which consume "nourishment" from the empty sources of this world (money, power, beauty and fame) then when the hard, dry days of life come we, like the tree don't have the strength to remain standing...and we certainly can't produce any good fruit. The fruit of this dis-eased life is depression, anxiety, selfishness, pride and an insatiable desire for more. But, if we seek out real, nourishing, enduring truth, the word of God, the Living Water, then when hardship, difficult circumstances and painful events come... and they will come, then we can remain standing strong and solid. We can endure and we can still produce good fruit.
We have the power to be intentional about what we feed our minds and souls. We have the choice about where to put down our roots. It will either be Truth, which brings freedom, joy, life and hope or it will be empty not-truth which tastes good for a moment but leaves us with nothing solid to stand on or to hold on to.
What is Good Fruit?
-Good fruit is not produced by the efforts of the tree. It is the natural product of the healthy plant with adequate nourishment.
-Good fruit is used to provide nourishment to other living beings
-Good fruit has seeds which when sprinkled or planted, nourished and protected can bring forth a new plant or new life.
-Good fruit is desirable. People want it.
-Good fruit is attractive. It draws attention.
-Good fruit would be chosen over bad fruit.
*Good fruit can only be produced by a healthy plant. A dry, withered, rotten or diseased plant cannot produce bright, juicy fruit.
Good Fruit in my life will look like:
-A natural product that will come from spiritual nourishment of mind and soul. It will not be from my striving to be more spiritual or more loving. It is a heart product.
-Kindness. Kind words and acts that are rightly motivated (not for acknowledgment from others or to gain any self-glory.
-A peaceful response rather than a defensive reaction
-An action or reaction that inspires or encourages someone else and nourishes their heart, mind, body or soul.
-An action or reaction which plants a seed in someone else that germinates and brings about 'new life' in them.
-Peace, hope, joy, fearless living that speaks God's power and glory in a way that people want what I have.
* I cannot eek out a peace filled, joyous response of hope, courage and genuine love if I am not filled and overflowing with His Spirit and nourished by His word and pruned and disciplined by His truth and grace.
