Tommy’s father has a very fine apple tree. Many a day, when Tommy bites his teeth into one of those fine Macintosh apples he thinks that there is no better apple tree in the world than his father’s. Of course Father keeps a watchful eye on that tree; he is often pruning or spraying, and he is always well rewarded with ripe and rosy fruit.
God made the apple tree, and God made Tommy, and Tommy is like a fruit tree too. Now, perhaps you feel like laughing, and saying, “But there isn’t any fruit growing on Tommy!”
Oh yes, there is! Tommy is a Christian boy, and he loves the Lord Jesus. He has been “born again” by the Spirit, and the Bible says: “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsufiering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance.” (Gal. 5:22, 2322But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, 23Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. (Galatians 5:22‑23).) That is the kind of fruit that grows on Tommy. Other people often appreciate this “fruit,” but God values it most of all. God never misses seeing one little bit of the fruit of the Spirit in His children, when it is there.
Now there is a good deal of pruning that God must do to Tommy, for God wants to see more fruit, and more, and I must tell you that there are times when Tommy does not show longsuffering and gentleness at all. But he ought to! God knows where these worthless branches of pride and selfishness are springing up to shut out the sunlight of His love. Tommy’s father prunes the worthless branches of his apple tree with a sharp knife, and God prunes too, and His ways are always right, even when they hurt.
Tommy is “like a tree planted by the rivers of water.” Psalm 1:33And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper. (Psalm 1:3). Are you one of God’s fruit trees too? Are you “born again,” and have you eternal life? Have you taken your true place as a lost guilty sinner and accepted the Lord Jesus as your own Saviour? Remember there is not much use saying you are a Christian, if you are not; and if you are, you will then yield some of this “fruit of the Spirit.”
ML 06/10/1951