And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.
~Psalm 1:3
Many passages of scripture liken people to fruit-bearing trees. I’ve been watching and listening to how people are reacting to the recent assassination of Charlie Kirk, and I have observed fruit of all kinds.
Charlie’s widow, Erika, has shown incredible strength, courage, hope, love, and forgiveness in the midst of great pain and loss. I can’t think of a better example of a tree producing good fruit.
On the other hand, I have seen people almost gleeful as they celebrate Charlie’s murder. People who call evil, “good” and good, “evil.” There’s been no shortage of bad fruit on display.
Still others are apathetic. They are unfazed, concerned only with their personal lives, unwilling or unable to produce any fruit at all.
Let’s look at what Jesus had to say on the subject of fruit:
“Beware of false prophets who come disguised as harmless sheep but are really vicious wolves.
You can identify them by their fruit, that is, by the way they act. Can you pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles?
A good tree produces good fruit, and a bad tree produces bad fruit.A good tree can’t produce bad fruit, and a bad tree can’t produce good fruit.
So every tree that does not produce good fruit is chopped down and thrown into the fire.
Yes, just as you can identify a tree by its fruit, so you can identify people by their actions.”
~Mathew 7:15-20
The next day as they were leaving Bethany, Jesus was hungry.
Seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to find out if it had any fruit. When he reached it, he found nothing but leaves, because it was not the season for figs.
Then he said to the tree, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again.” And his disciples heard him say it.
…
In the morning, as they went along, they saw the fig tree withered from the roots.
Peter remembered and said to Jesus, “Rabbi, look! The fig tree you cursed has withered!”
~Mathew 11:12-14 & 20
Now is a great time for self examination. Are you producing fruit? Is it good? How about the people you hang around with. The fact is, one day we will all give an account before God for the fruit we produced in this life (Romans 14:12).
Consider this sobering truth:
Even now the ax of God’s judgment is poised, ready to sever the roots of the trees. Yes, every tree that does not produce good fruit will be chopped down and thrown into the fire.
~Mathew 3:10
And if you want to know what good fruit looks like, here you go:
But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!
~Galatians 5:22-23
So what kind of fruit are you producing?
Plant yourself near the river of life. Spend time in prayer and reading God’s Word to nourish your spiritual life. Gather together with Godly people who encourage and inspire you. Produce good fruit!
