In Scripture, a “good tree” is one that bears fruit. According to Jeremiah, a “blessed tree” is one planted by water, protected from the challenges of this world, and that does not cease to bear fruit. The prophet Jeremiah points to a spiritual truth worth pondering: “Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose trust is the Lord.” 

It’s so important to read Jeremiah’s words from a first-century perspective. We go to a grocery store and get frustrated if the produce department runs out of the fruit we want. Jeremiah’s readers depended on the strength of a tree to get their fruit. That fruit was never certain—unless the tree was planted by water. 

Believing airplanes can fly is one level of trust; boarding a plane is a whole other level. I remember the small plane I took from Mexico to Cuba, which may have been held together with duct tape in a few places! It was one thing to trust the jet that flew us to Mexico, but it took total trust in God for me to fasten my seatbelt. We were there to serve him, and he was our most important pilot.

If we want to bear the fruit of God’s Spirit—his love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control—we must depend on the water and roots of our faith. We must draw on God’s wisdom to produce the fruit of God’s Spirit. 

As a friend often said, “We are called to be fruit inspectors.” The fruit is good or it is thrown away. Where have you planted your life? Whose wisdom are you choosing to consume? It’s not hard to tell. Simply inspect the fruit of your life and you’ll know.

Living with wisdom is a path to God’s blessings. When the path leads us to the water’s edge, we can plant ourselves there. A life rooted in God’s wisdom will naturally produce fruit in keeping with God’s Spirit. His blessings will be evident to us and to those around us.