In HIS Hand Ministry of Waldorf, MD: Fallen Fruit

Scripture of the Day

Proverbs 1:30-32 (NIV)

“Fallen Fruit”

Since they would not accept my advice and spurned my rebuke, they will eat the fruit of their ways and be filled with the fruit of their schemes. For the waywardness of the simple will kill them, and the complacency of fools will destroy them;

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Have you ever seen someone walking down the street with their pant sagging or their skirt too high and think to yourself or say to a friend, “Why would they let them come out of the house like that!” We tend to think that if someone is being careless in their behavior (talking loud in public or using inappropriate language), that they don’t have any “Home training”. We contribute the behavior to there being no adult supervision in the lives of the fruit! Some will assume that the parent or guardian must be like that too! You know . . . “The fruit doesn’t fall far from the tree”. And that is very true! The fruit doesn’t fall far from the tree, but we must keep in mind . . . once the fruit falls . . . the tree can’t pick it back up! In other words, we can't assume that there has been no home training when we see the fallen fruit! We have to observe the fruit itself! When I go to the supermarket and pick up a rotten apple, I don't assume the tree was bad . . . I see that the fruit is bad. Nor do I label all the other apples as bad!

When the parent or guardian (Tree) have done everything to ensure the child (fruit) has been trained in the knowledge of the LORD, you cannot look at the fruit that has fallen and blame the tree! While the fruit is still on the tree, it is the responsibility of the tree to nurture and provide for that fruit. In most cases, the fruit didn’t leave the house with the pant sagging or the little skirt. That is something they decide to do when they are away from the tree! But once the fruit falls from the tree, the fruit has its own seed to bare! So we should not automatically put that testimony on the parent or guardian (Tree), because the fruit has fallen away from the way they were raised!

So parents or guardians . . . don’t give up on the fruit that GOD has given you! And when they fall from the tree (and they will) . . . continue to pray for them! Pray that they will not fall and spoil, but that they will fall and become the strong tree, planted in good soil, so that they will bare good fruit. Because the good tree does produce good fruit, but once the fruit has fallen, it must decide if it will grow to be a good tree or a bad tree! Because a bad tree will produce bad fruit!

Now to the little fruits that will one day have to fall from the tree! When you fall from the tree . . . remember, the shelter is still there, but you must bare your own testimony.

Here is a question. What happens to fruit when it doesn’t fall from the tree once it becomes ripe?

Love Sincerely

Review this week’s Bible Study Reflections at http://inhishandministry.blogspot.com/p/weekly-bible-study-notes.html