Last week’s imposing fortress walls give way to this week’s soft spring blossoms.
A reminder that God can be both powerful and gentle, terrifying and tender. The same God who moves mountains and oceans also moves in our hearts—changing us, rearranging us, molding us into the image of his Son.
Time for a stroll through our garden, memorizing one of your favorite verses with each step.
The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life,
and the one who is wise saves lives. Proverbs 11:30
The fruit of the righteous…
Because of God’s grace, we are counted as righteous. Because of his Son, “the seeds of good deeds” (NLT) are planted in us and bear fruit. We “live right” (CEV) when Christ lives in us. So, “the fruit that godly people bear” (NIRV) is wholly dependent on God, not on our meager gardening abilities.
With everything beginning to bloom this month, we’re reminded of how little we’ve done—basically, pushed seeds into the ground—and how much God has done. He created the seeds and the soil, watered them with rain, bathed them with sunlight, then coaxed the first green shoots through the remains of last autumn’s mulch.
Always God. Only God. All God.
Because of his loving-kindness, God plants his righteousness inside us until a bold, new life breaks through.
…is a tree of life,…
So, what does this “tree that bears life-giving fruit” (TLB) look like?
- Like a mother who reads a children’s Bible to the little one squirming in her lap because she knows the Word contains Truth and Life.
- Like a father who hoes and weeds a garden with his son or daughter by his side, teaching them the biblical principles of seed time and harvest.
- Like a coworker who loves God and communicates that love daily to everyone who crosses her path.
- Like a friend who cares about what you care about and believes “a good person gives life to others” (NCV).
- Like a senior saint who continues to teach Sunday school or collect the offering or greet newcomers, standing on the promise, “They will still bear fruit in old age, they will stay fresh and green” (Psalm 92:14).
Good fruit comes from good trees, and good trees come from good fruit.
“The tree of life grows where the fruit of right-living falls” (VOICE). If we manage to do something right (oh my!), it may come as a surprise to us, but it’s never a surprise to God. He plants, waters, and nurtures us with his Word. In due season, something beautiful finally appears.
…and the one who is wise…
That’s the book of Proverbs for you. It’s all about gaining wisdom—wisdom from God and wisdom about God. Not so we can be a wise guy, but because when we “act wisely, others will follow” (CEV).
Beth, who chose this verse as her favorite, wrote, “I want to extend the life that Christ has given me to others.” Right. That’s wisdom in action. Handed out, not hoarded.
Beth is clearly not a new seedling, tethered to a stake. She is mature in her faith, “like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season” (Psalm 1:3). She’s who we want to be when we grow up.
God calls us not only to bloom where we’re planted, but also to bloom where we’ve been transplanted for the sake of others.
Grow here, beloved. I prepared this soil especially for you.
…saves lives.
If you’ve had the honor of watching someone step into God’s Kingdom, then you know why “those who are wise give new life to others” (ERV). The truth is, we don’t lead people to Christ. He draws them to himself while we cheer from the sidelines.
There is nothing more thrilling, nothing more glorious than seeing the first glimmer of grace transform someone’s face.
No wonder God calls wise the person who “wins souls” (CJB), who “teaches others how to live” (NCV), who shows them how “to do what is right” (NIRV).
The Hebrew word used here is nephesh, meaning “a soul, a living being.” That person who hasn’t met Jesus yet? Think of them as a soul who needs to be loved, not merely a sinner who needs to be sorry.
We reach out not only to the lost who’ve not yet found their way home, but also to believers who’ve drifted off to the far country and are desperate to return.
“My brothers and sisters, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring that person back, remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of their way will save them from death and cover over a multitude of sins” (James 5:19-20).
Who knew this week’s proverb would send us forth into gardens and fields and backyards and orchards? Into places called School and Work and Home and Starbucks?
God knew. He’s already there, waiting for us to join him. Eager for us to bloom.
The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life,
and the one who is wise saves lives. Proverbs 11:30
Now it’s your turn
- What has God planted inside you that’s ready to bear fruit this season?
Please respond via Post a Comment below. Your words will surely encourage us all. Our Printable of Proverbs 11:30 takes just a moment to load. And this week’s pin on Pinterest is quite…refreshing!
Now that April is here, Easter draws near. So thankful to celebrate this sacred season with you.
Your sister, Liz
@LizCurtisHiggs #50Proverbs
P.S. Bless you for considering adding Mercy Like Sunlight to your spring reading list. “This novella is captivating and delightful and the perfect read for the Lenten season.”