When people ask me what fruit trees we have on our property I talk about our little Beurre bosc pear tree that produces a bumper crop each year. We have been harvesting beautiful fruit from this tree for over a month! Jesus draws a comparison between good trees producing good fruit, and good things coming from the good stored in peoples heartsa. How do we store up good things in our hearts? And what might Jesus be referring to when he talks about good things?
After painting this picture, Jesus goes on to advocate coming to him, listening to his words and putting them into practice. This would seem to be a good strategy for storing good things in our hearts. They come from time relating with Jesus, listening to truth in the Bible and responding to what we learn.
It’s interesting that Jesus encourages us to “store” rather than just in take what we need for the day or week. Our excellent pear tree bears fruit in season and spends part of the year storing up resources. While it is good to pray and think on the go, it’s no substitute for taking time to be with God, to be in the Bible and to apply what we learn. By “storing up good things” we have reserves for when opportunities and challenges come.
Your response
What are you storing up in your life?
When and how might you store up good things from Jesus?
a Luke 6:43-45