July 19

A Tree and Its Fruit

A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit (Matthew 7:18).

Scripture: Matthew 7:15-23

Song: “Breathe on Me, Breath of God”

My grandmother had several fruit trees in her yard. When I was a boy, I loved climbing up in the branches of those trees and selecting a nice apple, plum, or bunch of cherries. And Grandma made the best cherry pies you can imagine. I could hardly wait for one of those pies to come out of the oven. She never made a bad pie, because she always had good fruit.

It is a fact of life that only a good tree can bear good fruit. Likewise, it is impossible for a good tree to bear bad fruit, or for a bad tree to bear good fruit. That’s why Jesus said, “By their fruit you will recognize them.” He was talking about false prophets (see verse 15). We still have to be on the watch for their kind today.

But we must also examine ourselves. What kind of fruit are we producing for God? The fruit we produce shows what kind of a person we are and who, ultimately, we rely on to do our works for the Lord. You see, only the Holy Spirit can actually produce fruit, as we make ourselves available for His use.

In light of this truth, consider Barnabas, a good tree. You can discover the secret of his goodness in Acts 11:24: “He was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and faith, and a great number of people were brought to the Lord.”

Dear Father, fill me with Your Holy Spirit that I might produce only good fruit for You and Your glory. I’m reminded that it may be in the little decisions of this day that I please or displease You. Wisdom and patience, Lord! Through Christ, amen.