tree and its fruit

When we moved to Pueblo, there was a tree in our new back yard. We had no clue what kind it was for it was little more than a few sticks on one side and half the tree was a blackened stump.  We were not even sure if it was alive. But Mac cut back the long sticks.  He cut them way, way back and I cried and cried for I thought he had killed any chance for my tree to live.  But come spring we had leaves and branches sprouted.  It has been a few years, and now we know what kind of tree it is for it bears peaches.  As from the beginning of time, it now is a fruit tree producing fruit after its own kind. Now my tree doesn’t try to make peaches, it is the natural outflow of being a peach tree that peaches grow.  But you know what?  It doesn’t bear apples or cherries.  Why? Because it in neither an apple or a cherry tree.  It bears peaches because it is a peach tree.  Duh!

This morning as I began reading in the New Testament of the awesome Hebrew/ Greek/ English Interlinear Bible my daughter Shirley gave me for Christmas, I came across the same concept of producing fruit after its own kind.

Matthew 3:8 Therefore, bring forth fruit worthy of repentance.

In other words: if you are really repenting of your sins, things will change in your life.  Just like my peach tree, it is not so much your trying, but as a natural outflow of a changed heart’s view on life changes will happen in what you do.

James speaks of the same thing:  James 2:20 Faith without works is dead..  Real faith bears fruit, just like my peach tree.  It doesn’t groan in an effort to make peaches, but when my peach tree is healthy and the frost has not nipped the buds, peaches just grow.  So as you grow in faith, you will bear more and more fruit.  That is, if your faith is healthy by eating the Word of GOD and drinking in GOD’s presence in prayer.

But just like with my peach tree, there is a growth process. My peach tree did not bear luscious peaches that 1^st year. The unproductive branches had to be cut off.  In the same way GOD prunes believers of things unproductive in our lives.  Sometimes it is painful but it will produce the fruit of righteousness in those exercised by it.  Hebrews 12:11  So don’t despise the discipline (pruning) of the LORD… for whom the LORD loves HE disciplines (prunes)… for if you endure discipline (pruning) GOD is treating you like sons… Hebrews 12:5-7 and it will produce the fruit of righteousness in those exercised by it!

JESUS spoke of this outflow of a changed heart when his disciples wanted to call fire down on a town who rejected JESUS.  HE said, “You don’t (yet) know what kind of spirit you are.  For the Son of Man did not come to destroy but to save.”  Luke 9:55,56 lit. 

But they learned, didn’t they?  And so can we.

Hugs

Sharon