Proverbs 25:23 Sources
Looking at the sources of a thing you can predict the result it will bring. This goes for both good and bad sources and results.
When looking at the two sources sited in our reading, I find it interesting that BOTH have to do with ‘wind’. The God made North Wind, and the blustery wind made by a wagging tongue. That is honestly the first thing that came to my mind when looking at this verse. I wonder why.
The next two verses have to do with the ‘man/woman made’ wind too. One for good and the other for bad. They also are examples of the ‘sources’ analogy for today. From a good source pours good results. From a bad source flows bad results. And some sources can only be judged by the results they bring.
This reminds me of the parable Jesus spoke regarding knowing a tree by the kind of fruit it bear. The ‘source’ of good fruit is a healthy tree. The ‘source’ of bad fruit is a diseased tree. Jesus was warning His disciples to judge the source by the fruit it produced. Some diseased ‘trees’ don’t look unhealthy on the outside but the quality of their fruit speaks clearly of its source.
Sad to say, today, the fruit and source judgment comes down to who is ‘grading the fruit’ for whom. My mother-in-law used to work for Harry & David. For those of you who don’t know who/what that is, it is a world famous fruit basket provider. They ship around the globe, and to be included in one of their baskets, the fruit has to meet the highest standards. It was her job to inspect the fruit already packed one last time. There were MANY already deemed acceptable fruit that found their way into the reject pile because someone bruised it when they picked it up, made a tiny nick in the skin with fingernails, or had a blemish that other eyes passed over. Only the BEST fruits made it out the door for delivery as gifts.
This is NOT how she grades the fruit that comes from our tree. We have two apple trees and a pear tree. The pears don’t even get graded. Once she judges them to ‘have enough sugar in them’ they get picked in as many boxes as possible. The only rejects are the ones that fall to the ground and split open. One year, I shook the tree to get the upper fruit down because the fruit was up too high and the tree too dense for me to get it. Again, if it didn’t split, it was included in the ‘keep’ pile.
With out apple trees, she watches all season, picking up fruit that has dropped on the ground, to judge their readiness for harvest. It doesn’t matter if there is a bruise or even a worm hole. She will cut (or bite) around it to know if fruit is ready. When harvest time comes for each tree (they are different kinds and ripen at different times), most years, we gather all of it off the trees. She then sorts them for our use or for giving away. If it is a big bruise, worm eaten, or shriveled, they go to the deer and donkeys. A medium bruise and some blemishes for make it into the food pantry boxes and small bruises go in our box. The biggest are kept for us. But we get MANY that would NOT make it in her previous role as fruit inspector.
This year, one of our trees didn’t produce any fruit. It is our favorite tree so we had it checked out. There is no disease but it may be past its years of bearing fruit. We will give it another season before deciding what to do with it, or what to expect from it.
Getting back to the source, with out trees, their structure isn’t all there is to them as a source of good fruit. ALL that goes into each tree makes a difference. Is it a warm or cold year? How much rain did we get? Were too many days smoke filled from forest fires for it to have fresh air? Did we give the trees any ‘food’? Did the deer come through and strip the lower branches? How long since it had been pruned? ALL these things impact the source and therefore effect the fruit.
In our lives, we are a lot like the trees in my yard. EVERYTHING that goes into us effects the fruit we produce. The MOST IMPORTANT part is where our source is. Is it from the Lord or is it from the world? For those whose source is ANYTHING but God, their fruit will NEVER measure up. They are ‘drinking’ from a ‘polluted stream’. Those who love God are drinking from the fountain of living water. But what we mix in on top of that water makes a difference too.
Do we throw ‘toxic trash’ (pornography, out of control gambling or drinking, hatred for one another, lust, …) into the water? Or do we keep the spring fresh by getting into God’s word and spending time with Him? What are we feeding our spirit? Does any and all media sound enticing and desirable or do we have standards for our viewing/reading/listening/gaming times? Are we soaking in the sun or standing in the fields filled with smoke? Are we putting ourselves in the middle of the fire with our actions?
ALL these effects our personal source and ultimately affect our fruit. The Pharisees didn’t consider their fruit ‘bad’ but Jesus graded their fruit as rejected. Not because their original source was foul but because what they added along the way. What was left after the ‘additives’ was totally spoiled ‘fruit’.
How can we keep our fruit good? By guarding our ‘source’. Watch over what you allow into your heart. Seek the TRUE source and live as close a life to His as possible. I have NO DOUBT I will make mistakes along the way; you probably will too. But be willing to put in the work to restore your source so your fruit will be good; acceptable to Him who does the ultimate ‘grading’.
Something that just popped into my heart is the power of dilution. When you add something to another thing, the two are no longer pure. But the more you add of one the more diluted the second will become. You get to a point where, taken as a whole, there is VERY little trace of the second ingredient.
We live in a fallen world and there are sinful things all around us. If all we take in are those things, the Spirit of God in us gets polluted and diluted. But if we actively seek things of God, the world’s influence on us becomes diluted. Keep seeking and searching and the world loses its power; its hold.
And then the MOST AMAZING THING happens. GOD REMOVES ALL TRACES of sin. He forgives us when we turn it over to Him. Thereby making our fruit even sweeter.
Father God, clean my heart. Fill it with all the things of You. Be my ONLY source. Help me to bear fruit acceptable to You.
As silly as it sounds Father, heal my apple tree. Let it bear fruit again; good fruit. Thank You for caring about even the little things in my life.
