The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and whoever captures souls is wise.
One tree that comes to mind when I read this verse is the tree in the Bahrain dessert.
According to Wikipedia, the Tree of Life, as it is called, is a prosopis cineraria tree. It stands 32 feet high and is roughly 400 years old.
Since the tree is the only major tree growing in the area, it is a local tourist attraction. Approximately 50,000 tourists every year visit the tree. As you can see, the tree is in the desert. So what is the tree's secret to success? It's root system. According to Wiki, trees of prosopis genus are well adapted to arid environments because they have one of the deepest known root systems.
Just as the tree of life is planted in a desert, Christians are planted in a desert. This world we live in has many mirages, but ultimately it has nothing to offer. It's a barren wasteland. Yet, as Christians, we have something to offer! When we are rooted and grounded in Christ, green leaves and ripe fruit emerge from our branches. And when they emerge, we look different, we act different, we are different. And the world watches.
My prayer for you, Beloveds, is that we will be as a tree of life to a watching world. And as we mature, we will grow more and more useful in God's kingdom.
May others be refreshed by our fruit, and find shade beneath our branches.
May the Lord help us!
