Christmas time--a time to be wise fishermen? Proverbs 11:30

The Bible says this in the book of Proverbs:

The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life; and he that winneth souls is wise. Proverbs 11:30

What does this verse teach us?

To be brief, the first part of the verse, "The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life,"  teaches us that the righteous (meaning the one who is in a right standing before the Lord) will bring forth fruit through his actions and lifestyle that will influence other people for the Lord Jesus Christ.  This is the natural characteristic of the genuine Christian.  This agrees with what the Lord Jesus said that a good tree brings forth good fruit (Matthew 7:17-20).  The second part of the verse, "and he that winneth souls is wise," fits with the first part by letting us know that the one who seeks to winneth (or "captures" as in the ESV) souls, or one that seeks to be a "fisher of men" (Keil & Delitzsch--Matthew 4:19), is a wise person.  Note what the ESV Study Bible says about this verse:

The life of the righteous leads not only to blessing for themselves but also provides fruit that “captures souls” in the sense of leading people out of the path that ends in death.

How does this verse fit with Christmas time?


This verse fits with Christmas well because this is the time of year that a Christian probably has the greatest ability to have a godly influence on others.  The Christian, who is seeking to bring forth good fruit all the time, is able to capitalize on the message of the Christmas account through the open door provided by his testimony.  Are you seeking to do this through your life now?

Personal Application:

I was reminded first hand of this truth recently when I had someone just hours after reading Proverbs 11:30 approach me concerning some genuine questions about the Bible.  I was able to use the message of Christmas and other verses to help explain to them the reason why Christ came to earth and the salvation that He provides through His sacrificial death to pay for our sin.  The person was very receptive and inquisitive.  It appeared to me that the Lord was working on their heart.  I would like you to pray for this person's salvation if you yourself are a Christian.  In light of what has happened to me, my prayer for you is that all of you who read this post also will have many opportunities in the next week or so to go fishing for Christ.

May the Lord reward you labor of love by allowing your righteous life to bring forth many souls for the Lord Jesus Christ this Christmas.

Pastor Steve
Psalm 119:89