The Good Tree

 DEVOTION

THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO LUKE

THE GOOD TREE

Luke 6:43-45

43 "No good tree bears bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. 44 Each tree is recognized by its own fruit. People do not pick figs from thornbushes, or grapes from briers. 45 The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks.

NIV

We would have to believe because we have the Holy Spirit dwelling within us that we would be the good tree that bears good fruit. Of course, this would be the fruit of the Spirit. People will know us by the fruit that we bear. However, we also think that people will know us by the words that we speak, which is an overflow of our hearts. Why then do we still hear words that do not define us as believers or followers of Christ? We absolutely know that a person who bears the fruit of the Spirit would never say anything that would not reflect the glory of God. We hear those words people speak from the overflow of their hearts who do not have the Spirit. We hear foul words, we hear gossip, we hear hatred and despising words. We hear the evil they have stored up in their hearts, even in how they look, with their disapproving and judgmental eyes. When have even heard those words of jealousy and envy from those bad trees in the garden of this world. However, praise God, we never see or hear anything like that within the community of faith, for we are the good trees in the garden of God. We have the word of God stored up in our hearts and it flows to overflowing from our mouths. When we walk in the world, we hear those sad stories of woe, and how everything is going badly for them. But praise the Lord, we have learned to be content in whatever situation we are in, and so God will always be glorified by the good tree he planted in his garden.