PLEASE READ THIS FIRST: Proverbs 11-12
What do you sense the Lord saying to you in this passage?
“The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life….” (Proverbs 11:30)
This chapter often refers to the righteous, or the upright.
This does not mean the perfectly sinless person, the full meaning of ‘righteous’.
It refers to those who ‘seek good’ (v.27), who strive to do what is good and right.
Their intentions are good, even if not all their actions are.
This is as good as we can get on this side of Genesis 3.
We have lost access to the tree of life (Genesis 3:22-24).
But with Jesus’s forgiveness and help, we are able to overcome evil with good.
What this pre-Jesus proverb hinted at is now even more possible for us.
The Spirit of Jesus helps us produce good fruit: love, joy peace, etc (Galatians 5:22-23).
By our Jesus-inspired, Spirit-enabled expression of goodness, we bring life to others.
We can be a tree of life to someone else, so that they can taste God’s goodness.
If I make the effort, I will be productive in being more and more ‘righteous’.
If I seek (genuinely desire and pursue) this, the Spirit will work through me!
How will I bring goodness to someone else today; how can I bless someone else?
PRAYER
Lord, may my words and actions today allow someone else to taste your goodness. I want to help you make this world ‘very good’ again!
On what foundation is my life based on? Is it my own achievements and riches – if any? No. That is a weak foundation and one that will not last. Like Nebuchadnezzar – I need to learn that all that the Lord entrusts to me – is a gift from God – a trust. I cannot build on my own foundation – my own foundation of goodness or schemes to get ahead. “Truly the righteous attain life, but whoever pursues evil finds death… and “In the way of righteousness there is life; along that path is immortality.” I’m reminded to build my foundation on what is durable – my Jesus and His righteousness for “Those who trust in their riches will fall, but the righteous will thrive like a green leaf.” Let my leaves flourish – that I may do good deeds and be bathed by the spirit. I am not my own but belong!
One word keeps coming to the foreground in this passage – righteous(ness). The righteous live a life of integrity by their words and deeds, even their thoughts. Others are able to see that they are Christians by their love because all what they do are just. We are channels of His peace.
Make me a channel of your peace.
Where there is hatred let me bring your love.
Where there is injury, your pardon, Lord
And where there’s doubt, true faith in you.
Make me a channel of your peace
Where there’s despair in life, let me bring hope
Where there is darkness, only light
And where there’s sadness, ever joy.
Oh, Master grant that I may never seek
So much to be consoled as to console
To be understood as to understand
To be loved as to love with all my soul.
Make me a channel of your peace
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned
In giving to all men that we receive
And in dying that we’re born to eternal life.
Oh, Master grant that I may never seek
So much to be consoled as to console
To be understood as to understand
To be loved as to love with all my soul.
Make me a channel of your peace
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned
In giving to all men that we receive
And in dying that we’re born to eternal life.