Orange is a color, but also a fruit. Growing up in the Midwest, oranges were not plentiful. But when I lived in California, my in-laws had some of the best orange trees ever!
I’m no longer there, so I have to go to my favorite produce store. Before my Goddaughter came to visit, I had gotten some delightfully sweet ones.
On the second day of her visit, I said, “Let’s have one of these oranges. They’re the best ones ever.” I handed her one, only to have her turn it over and hand it back to me. The underside was black.
It was not only surprising but disappointing. We knew the heart of this orange would be no better, so I threw it in the trash.
Once again, a godly principle made an impact. When God sent the prophet Samuel to anoint a king, he saw seven possible candidates. But God said, “The LORD has not chosen any of these.” (I Samuel 16:1-12)
The most famous verse in this story is 1 Samuel 16:7 . . . the LORD does not see as man does. For man sees the outward appearance, but the LORD sees the heart.
This is a principle from which God never varies. Jesus taught about people as fruit trees. He said, “By their fruit you will recognize them” (Matthew 7:20).
Read further and you see that Jesus refers to fruit as actions (Matthew 7:21-23). If you have asked Jesus to be your Savior, that’s good. But how are you living out your faith?
On judgment day, we’ll be called into accountability for both our actions and our words (Matthew 7:21-23, 12:33-37).
We are to be fruit inspectors. First, we must inspect our own lives. Who knows us best? We do!
Next, we need to inspect the lives of those we choose as best friends. Are they bearing good fruit and encouraging us to do the same?
Today's challenge: Aim to be the good fruit-bearing tree, in both actions and words.
No comments:
Post a Comment
I'm so glad you took the time to comment. It's nice to have that connection.