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A TREE BEARING GOOD FRUIT
Blessings have been bestowed on us in various ways. God in his mercy has endowed us with trees that bear fruit that we can enjoy, to nourish us, and make our lives more pleasant. Throughout the Bible we come upon many references to the word ‘fruit’. Our initial experience with the word comes from the genesis of our reading of the Holy Book. Right there in Genesis we see God giving to the first couple He created in the Garden of Eden a warning not to eat of the Fruit of Knowledge. All the other fruit was theirs to partake of, but not that one. By disobeying God, the Creator, the curse of sin fell on them and on all future generations. However, God still provided all mankind with fruits of every kind to feast on and to satisfy his health needs.
Fruits come in so many different colours, sizes and shapes; they present a picturesque display in any bowl or basket. The artist is moved to transfer this pictorial image on to paper, canvas, or what ever medium he chooses.. What about the taste buds of the spectator?. He is tempted by the luscious spectacle before his eyes; his mouth waters and he is ready to bite into this fragrant temptation. The colour, the ripeness and the beauty are all alluring. The tropical fruits ripen quickly with the sun: the mango, the pineapple, the guava, the pawpaw, the orange. They spoil faster because of the heat and humidity. Those in the colder climates have a better life span
The abundance of fruits on the trees or on the table should always remind us to be thankful to God for His benevolence. We should, however, turn our minds to the spiritual fruits mentioned in the Bible. Galatians 5:22 says “But the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.” Love is the first mentioned and it is this attribute that God commands us to have for Him, as well as for our neighbour. Love your neighbour as yourself. This is followed by Joy which comes from a loving heart. The happiness that Love and Joy inspire brings about Peace. We are told in 1 Corinthians 13:4 that “Love is Patient, Love is Kind”, and Patience, Kindness and Goodness all spring from Love. Faithfulness, Gentleness and Self-control are also qualities that derive from Love. We would want to be faithful, and gentle to those we love and restrain ourselves from anger or violent behaviour as we practise self-control.
We shall be known by our fruits. “The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life.” (Pro.11:30) Our offspring (our fruit) will practise what we show them by example, not what we preach to them. Matt. 7:17 says “Every sound tree bears good fruit.” If we show our children the love that is necessary for their emotional growth, they can more easily withstand the trials and temptations that form part of life. Teaching them to love God’s Word is of paramount importance. “All scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, so that everyone who belongs to God may be proficient, equipped for every good work.” (2 Timothy 3:16-17). We must be like a tree bearing good fruit.
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