“For a good tree does not bear bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. Luke 6:43
I remember years ago hearing Oral Roberts talk about his uncle who had a peach farm. People would travel from remote counties to buy them because they were the biggest, sweetest and best peaches anyone had ever tasted! Years later, after Oral’s uncle died, he was in the area and thought he would stop by and get some peaches. But something was very wrong. The peaches were small, withered, dry and useless. What were once vibrant trees producing big, beautiful peaches were now only a shadow of what they once were.
He found out that the next generation never did what Oral’s uncle did. They never took care of the soil that once fed the trees the nutrients it needed. The trees were still full of potential, but their roots were tapping into lifeless soil. As a result, the fruit suffered, and nobody wanted those peaches anymore.
As Christians we have been called to bear much fruit, and that our fruit should remain. The life of every tree is found in the soil it draws from. You may have amazing potential, but if the sources you are drawing from are tainted, eventually the fruit you display will be tainted. If you’re drawing good soil filled with life giving nutrients, then the fruit you display will be full of life, the kind of fruit that people will want in their own lives.
We desire that each of us produce the kind of fruit that will attract people. And that will only happen when we begin to tap into the right sources. The Word of God is our source! It is filled with life, blessing, light, wisdom, understanding, strength, foresight, instruction, revelation and much more…! And the Holy Spirit has been given to bring the Word to life in us!
Let’s make an assessment of our hearts. What kind of fruit we bear shows us what kind of sources we’ve been tapping from. Isn’t it worth clearing out the rocks and weeds and feed upon the Bread of Life, the Living Water, and the fellowship of faith-filled believers? Remember, those peach trees were only as good as the soil they were drawing from. As we take care of our hearts we’ll produce healthy fruit – the Fruit that Remains!
With Love,
Pastor Tom