Fruitless
Trees
I was examining my two peach trees this week
to see if there were any peaches on them.
From my kitchen window I had not yet seen any. For the last two years, late frosts have
prevented any fruit. I planted these
trees for fruit not for decoration.
Although we
have had lots of rain and cooler weather, I don’t think we have had frost
during the time of blossoming. Nevertheless,
my diligent branch by branch searching discovered only one lone peach. In frustration
I decided I was ready to cut these unfruitful trees down. If I had found 20 or
30 peaches, it would be different, but 1. What good is 1 peach.
All this vain
searching for tiny growing peaches caused me to remember something from the
book of Genesis. It is a conversation between Abraham and God. (By the way,
these are very real persons. We have the
whole nation of Israel to authenticate Abraham, and we have a whole universe to
authenticate God.)
Anyway, God told Abraham that “the outcry
against Sodom and Gomorrah is so great and their sin so grievous that I will go
down and see.” Abraham knew destruction
was on its way.
He bravely spoke
his concern to God. “Will you sweep away
the righteous with the wicked?” What if
there are 50 righteous people in that city?”
God told him if there are 50 righteous people, I will spare it. I guess Abraham wasn’t sure there would be
that many righteous persons because he continued. “How about 40?” God replied, “I will spare it for 40.”
“Ummmm, how
about 30?” “I will spare it for 30.”
“20?” “I will
spare it for 20.”
“Ahh, Lord
please don’t be angry, but how about 10?
Will you spare it for 10?” God
answered, “For the sake of 10 I will not destroy it.”
Well, we
know the rest of that bit of history. There were not 10 righteous persons to be
found and the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed. It is a very sad thing when society heads in
a direction away from God.
Our God, the
one and only true God, is a God of great and mighty love and is slow to anger,
but He does get fed up with sin. God created us to have relationship with Him. Sin
separates us from God. No wonder He
hates sin. But, God provided a way for
us to be holy and connect with Him. That
way is Jesus Christ.
Be a tree
that bears fruit. Psalms chapter 1 says: “Blessed is the man who walks not in
the counsel of the ungodly, Nor stands in the path of sinners, Nor sits in the
seat of the scornful: But his delight is in the law of the Lord, And in His law
he meditates day and night. He shall be
like a tree planted by the rivers of water; that brings forth its fruit in its
season, whose leaf also shall not wither; and whatever he does shall prosper.
Jesus is that nourishing fountain. Plant yourself near to Him.
Back to my
peach trees that I was ready to cut down. Those trees that seem to have quit
producing fruit.
As I was
searching among the branches for peaches, I happened upon a sweet little bird
nest. I like birds as much as peaches,
maybe more. The trees will stay.
