Proverbs 11:30: “The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, / And he who wins souls is wise.”

June 15th, 2024 by Pastor Ed in devotional

The Hebrew phrase “tree of life” is part of a familiar Old Testament picture that refers to refreshment and spiritual renewal. In many ways, this seems to have been the very function of the tree of life in the Garden of Eden. Throughout Scripture, the believer’s life is likened to a tree. So we should stop and take a closer look at trees.

We see in biology that trees are the largest and longest living form of life. There are very few animals that live over 100 years, but trees can live for 1000s of years. After taking core samples and counting rings, one of the oldest known trees, the bristlecone pine tree (nicknamed Methuselah), was measured to be 4,789 years old. God desires for most believers to live a long, productive, fruitful, flourishing life. Our lives should be, as this verse in Proverbs and Psalm 1 declares, like a tree bearing fruit.

Trees contribute much to the life around them: shade, oxygen from carbon dioxide, mulch, fruit, nuts, and many other things. Likewise the believer’s life should enhance those around them. When Jacob blessed his son Joseph, he said, “Joseph is a fruitful bough, / A fruitful bough by a well; / His branches run over the wall” (Genesis 49:22). This is how God wants all of our lives to be, branches weighed down and overloaded with fruit for others to enjoy. But we can only produce that fruit by spending time in His presence. Jesus said that He was the vine and that we are to be the branches that bear fruit for others to take, bringing them closer to Him (John 15:5).

“LORD, use us today to win souls to You, we ask in Jesus’ name.”