I discovered a tree on the edge of our church property that I was very excited about. Because the leaves in this tree looked just like the leaves on my loquat tree (otherwise known as a Japanese plum tree) at home. I marked the tree so I could dig it up and transfer it to my property in the winter. I would check on the tree randomly looking for fruit. Sure enough one day there was fruit. It didn’t look like the plums that a loquat would produce though. Instead of a soft sweet plum I was dealing with something hard. With some research I discovered that this was not in fact a loquat, but instead it was a yellow buckeye tree. These trees are considered poisonous to humans. Had I moved the tree I would have planted a useless tree that was poisonous to my family and those around me.
You see sometimes we may encounter someone that looks right. They may even be at church (most likely on the edges). You may be excited to see them, but you must be careful. You must examine their fruit. You may introduce something into your life and your home that has poisonous fruit. You may have all the best intentions, but you must always be attentive. Just because someone looks the part doesn’t mean that they are the real deal. Pray for God to lead you and protect you from poisonous situations and people. Then listen if God warns you about someone, don’t dismiss it just because you think they are good. Pay attention to their fruits.
Matthew 7:16 KJV Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?
Galatians 5:22-23 ISV 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against such things.
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