The Season of Giving

Blessed is the man Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful; But his delight is in the law of the Lord, And in His law, he meditates day and night.

—Psalms 1:1-2

Psalms 1:1-2 describes the happiness and deep fulfillment of the person who avoids sin and delights in God’s word. This person actively avoids being influenced by sinful behavior, refusing to adopt the lifestyle or attitudes of the wicked. The source of their strength and guidance is the continual reflection on and delight in God’s teachings. Psalms 1:3 compares them to a tree, “That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither—whatever they do prospers.” A well-rooted tree, symbolizing stability, vitality, and fruitfulness, while the stream signifies a constant source of life and nourishment, i.e., God’s presence and guidance. The lives of the righteous produce good results, their fruit, in alignment with God’s timing and purposes resulting in prosperity of spiritual success in God’s eyes.

Jesus discusses the concept of “good fruit” in several passages in the Gospels, often using it as a metaphor for the results of a person’s character, actions, or faith. In Matthew 7:17-18, Jesus says, “Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit.” This passage comes from the Sermon on the Mount, where Jesus emphasizes that true discipleship is revealed by a person’s actions and the fruit their life produces. He contrasts genuine faith, which results in good deeds, with hypocrisy or false teaching, which leads to bad outcomes. In John 15:5, Jesus uses the image of a vine and its branches to teach that good fruit results from remaining in close relationship with Him. He says, “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.”

James 1:22 states, “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.” James emphasizes the importance of living out God’s Word rather than merely hearing it. It warns against self-deception, which occurs when someone listens to Scripture but does not apply its teachings in their daily life. We show genuine faith through obedience and action, not just passive knowledge, or acknowledgment of the truth. James, like Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount and the writer of the Psalms, encourages believers to integrate their faith into their actions, making God’s Word a transformative force in their lives. 

As we enter December and celebrate the birth of Christ, let us remember that we should be doers who are trees that produce good fruits for our efforts to honor and follow the teachings of Jesus. We have to remain steadfast and follow the Message of Jesus and turn away from the ungodly who will lead us astray. The celebration of Christ’s birth is a time of giving, but not just giving physical gifts, but showing our faithfulness through our actions not our words. When we are children, we are often all about the receiving of gifts, but as adults, we should focus more on giving. Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 13:11-13, “When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me. For now, we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.”