Tuesday Reading: Matthew 7:15-20
Key Verse: Matthew 7:16
16 You shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thorns, or figs from thistles?
Devotion:
When I was young I used to think that just planting a fruit tree would be good enough to make sure of a bountiful crop of fruit each year. Indeed in the houses that I lived as a child we had many fruit trees and I would see so much fruit growing on them. Little did I think about all that has to go on behind the scenes to make sure that the trees would bear fruit. I began to learn just how much does go on whilst learning about things at school but never got to know too much because I chose a path of technical work rather than biological works in school. It is amazing how many things are involved in getting our fruit onto our tables at home!
Nowadays many children are growing up learning that fruit comes from the super-market and that it is available all year round without thinking about how much is involved. I fear that there would be some who would not be able to identify various common fruit trees until the fruit appeared on them. But greater fear comes from knowing that those same people are growing up and not knowing from where the truth actually comes. Too many people are growing up with the words that Christianity is just another religion and is only there because people want it to be there. Too many are having the truth hidden from them because of the surroundings they are growing up in.
We need to be the ones that take a step forward and show others that we are following Christ for a reason. We need to show them that we are like fruit trees that can bear fruit. We need to show them that we are different by showing them that we believe what our bibles tell us and follow God’s instructions by following God’s Word. We need to show them that we are different because we know that what we are doing is what God wants us to do. It is by these differences that people will know that we follow the truth. Without those differences people will not see that we are anything other than just another tree in the forest – how will they know the truth about where we know God from unless we are willing to show them by our example. If we don’t look any different to any other person how could they ever believe God is real?
Points to Ponder:
Whose example lead you to Christ?
Are you giving others the right picture?
