In Psalm 1, the blessed person is described as being fruitful.
What does this look like?
This looks like the holly tree outside my kitchen window.
The holly tree is loaded with holly berries. Any time I glance out my kitchen window I can see birds hopping all over the tree, feasting on the berries. The birds fly away and spread the berry seeds in far-flung places. The berries fall from the tree and cover the ground all around … eventually sprouting and forming new little holly sprouts. The holly tree sends out shoots from underground, which spring up here, there, and everywhere! … growing into their own holly trees.
The holly tree is very fruitful!
* It produces fruit which nourishes and sustains wildlife.
* Its fruit is also seed, by which the holly multiplies itself all around its immediate vicinity.
* Its fruit, as seed, also multiplies itself in far-flung places.
* The tree also multiplies itself by sending out runners and shoots, which don’t sprout from seed, but which grow up as trees directly.
This right here is what it looks like for the blessed person to be fruitful … as Psalm 1 describes.
The blessed person has a life which is loaded with spiritual fruit … love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness (righteousness), gentleness, faithfulness (trustworthiness), self-control, etc. …
Lots of spiritual fruit … lots of different kinds … all at the same time … hanging heavy from their life!
The purpose of this spiritual fruit is to nourish and sustain others.
Sometimes, others come and take … like the birds which come and eat the fruit right off the holly tree. This happens to the blessed person. Others come along and take. Take … take … take.
Just like the holly tree allows its fruit to be freely taken by the birds … so also the blessed person freely allows others to take of their fruit. The blessed person freely gives to them patience, kindness, gentleness, etc. …
And just as the birds fly away to far-flung places, carrying the holly berry-seeds which they have just taken … so also, those who take the spiritual fruit from the blessed person wind up doing the same thing. They carry that fruit/seeds to far-flung places.
Places where the blessed person will never go. Yet … seeds from their life have now been “planted” there.
Over time those seeds take root … and sprout.
And eventually … those seeds multiply! … as more people make the decision to love and follow Jesus!
The blessed person has just multiplied … by scattering “seeds” … through allowing their fruit to be taken. Incredible to think about, isn’t it.
But the blessed person doesn’t just sit around simply allowing others to come and take of their fruit.
The blessed person actively participates in dropping their fruit abundantly all around the immediate vicinity where God has “planted” them. The blessed person actively gives love away! The blessed person actively shows kindness! The blessed person actively demonstrates forgiveness. Etc. …
And just like the seed which was carried to far-flung places, so also this seed takes root … and sprouts. And eventually … multiplies!
Perhaps you might be thinking: But Jesus told us to “Go and make disciples” … this means we have to share the good news about Jesus with others! We can’t just simply show love, and kindness, and patience … we have to actually tell others about Jesus.
Yes! Absolutely! This could be represented by the holly tree sending out runners and shoots, which don’t sprout from seed, but which grow up directly from the tree. The tree is multiplying itself directly.
Yes! … tell people the good news about Jesus! Go and make disciples!
The blessed person is fruitful!
How is it going in your life?
