Rotten Fruit and Structure

Jesus said to his disciples, "A good tree does not bear rotten fruit, nor does a rotten tree bear good fruit. For every tree is known by its fruit. For people do not pick figs from thornbushes, nor do they gather grapes from brambles. A good person out of the store of goodness in his heart produces good, but an evil person out of a store of evil produces evil; from the fullness of the heart the mouth speaks. "Why do you call me, 'Lord, Lord,' but do not do what I command? I will show you what someone is like that comes to me, listens to my words, and acts on them. That one is like a man building a house, who dug deeply and laid a foundation on rock; when the flood came, the river burst against the house but could not shake it because it had been well built. But the one who listens and does not act is like a person who built a house on the ground without a foundation. When the river burst against it , it collapsed at once and was completely destroyed." 

Consideration: A man who has spent a lifetime toiling in the soil and building structures understands fully that the words of Jesus are so true. To produce good fruit the poor soil must be cultivated and nourished to bring forth a healthy harvest. In the same way a structure will only resist the forces of nature if it is built on a solid foundation. The end result will only produce a positive result only if there was sacrifice, effort, and hard work applied through the entire process. Nothing worthwhile is easy, but when all is said and done, a bounty of fruit will shine forth, and the structures built on solid ground will endure for a lifetime and beyond. Amen.