I Am The Good Tree
Scripture Reference: Matthew 7:17 – 20 (KJV)
Matthew 7:17 Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth corrupt fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. 19 Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. 20 Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.
Jesus in this scripture is comparing man to a tree.
What is a tree? (Webster’s definition)
The general name of the largest of the vegetable kind, consisting of a firm woody stems springing from woody roots, and spreading above into branches which terminate in leaves. A tree differs from a shrub principally in size, many species of trees growing to the height of fifty or sixty feet, and some species to seventy or eighty, and a few, particularly the pine, to a much greater height.
God has blessed man to grow higher than any other creature. Not in the physical sense of growth but spiritually and mentally
Though Jesus compared man’s faith to the seed of a flower (mustard seed) which is indeed great, he was saw fit to compare the physical being of man himself to the largest vegetable.
Throughout the test of time trees have proven themselves to be very resourceful and important to mankind. We can use trees to get food, build, live-in, burn, get shade, get heat, get energy, climb, etc., etc. It’s highly probable that all of the uses for trees have still not been completely exhausted yet. Even in modern times there still may be many important capabilities of trees that we have completely no idea of yet.
God said that all the trees that he made were good (Genesis 1:11 And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth: and it was so.
12 And the earth brought forth grass, and herb yielding seed after his kind, and the tree yielding fruit, whose seed was in itself, after his kind: and God saw that it was good.). God also gave the tree the ability to bear seeds. This meant that the tree had the power within itself to regenerate. In fact, at first one seed is deposited in the earth; from this one a tree springs, which in the course of its vegetative life produces one thousand five hundred and eighty-four millions of seeds. This is the first generation.
God has also given the tree the ability to produce fruit. This fruit has the specific purpose to nourish the world.
This is an awesome power given to us by God. God has said that we are all descendants of good trees. He said that we have the awesome power within ourselves to produce others like us.
Man has the awesome power to be resourceful not just to reproduce through his seed but he also has the power to produce fruit (love, joy, peace, longsuffering, meekness, gentleness, goodness, faith, temperance). If we think about it, when a tree allows fruit to hang from it’s branches too long the fruit rots and is no good to anyone. In order for the tree to truly prosper from the fruit that it bears it has to give it away.
(Illustration)
I was talking to one of my friends from the islands and he was explaining how the people on his island loved mangos. He went ahead to explain how mangos were also the leading fruit import to the island and how they would raise the prices on mangos at will. The second part to this story and the most important part is the fact that he told me that the island was filled with mango trees. He explained that there were so many mango trees that the mango would eventually fall and create a problem for the people to have to deal with.
Now me being the business man that I am I immediately asked myself “If they have an abundance of mango’s available and a great demand for mangos from within, why would they just sit there and render such a great blessing from God useless?” This is the same thing that we do when we go out searching and paying for people to help us with things that we have within. We are denying the very existence and purpose of the people (trees) that God has planted all around us begging for us to pick from them.
There are so many resources untapped and unused in the church that we should really be ashamed that we ever even thought to go anywhere else for help. God has someone lined up who specializes in dealing with your specific problem. The people who he has lined up to help you only need for you to totally submit yourself obedient to the will of God for them to be able to immediately help you out of your seemingly desperate situation.
What do we think about when we think about trees?
- Strength – ability to continue to stand even in storms. One thing is for sure and that is when a tree has been allowed to receive proper nourishment and proper time to grow it can be big and strong. When a tree is big and strong you cannot just walk up to it and push it over. It will take more than just a strong gust of wind to make it fall. We need to borrow our characteristics of strength from the tree.
- They use the rainy days as nourishment to grow instead of
reasons to complain. Just because it is raining in our lives we shouldn’t complain. We should use the rain as food to grow. In fact, if it does not rain then we have a bigger problem. A tree cannot survive without rain. The fruit from the tree will never grow to be anything.
- Another thing that a tree needs to grow is dirt. They use the dirt as foundations. Anytime we want a tree to reach it’s full potential we have to give it dirt. Dirt is truly a good food for trees. When dirt is thrown at you or on you don’t complain. Just step on it and plant yourself in it and prepare to grow. If the dirt has dung in it that’s even better. You can use it to grow even faster and even stronger. Whatever you do never give up because you are growing more than you think.
- Trees are steadfast and unmovable. If someone or something stronger than the tree does not come up and physically move the tree then the tree will not be moved. We truly need to use that characteristic from trees. They don’t just pick up and move no matter what (Fire, storm, hot, cold). In tornadoes they have been known to bend until they almost touch the ground. Holding with all they have to stay in place. We have to be willing to stick with a thing until the end. Even if we see destruction coming sometimes and God has planted us we have to be willing to see a thing through and be received by the father.
- Trees are always standing firm in the position in which God has
ordered. Their limbs are always reaching toward the sky as if
they were in the position of submission to God. Even the
weeping willow remains faithful and in position with it’s limbs
down. They aren’t like some of the more flimsy plants that have
weaker branches that easily wave in the wind. Just because the situation around us looks very dim that is no reason to change our position with God.
CONCLUSION
Some of us however are being eaten alive by termites. We have come up with ways to allow the enemy to stop the things that God has spoken into our lives. We have failed to recognize that we are the good fruit from the good tree. Some are looking for fruit to come from our ears, nose, head, etc. However those are not the fruit that God is speaking of. Paul teaches us about the fruit that we bear in the book of Galatians 5:22-23. Gal 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Gal 5:23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. Some of us may think that we have been planted in bad ground and this may very well be true but we must remember that we are all descendants of good trees. So we have the power to become good trees and bear good fruit.
Let’s Pray
Thank You. May God continue to bless you and keep you. Amen
Your Friend
Minister Juan D. Lane
