When you travel to Israel as a follower of Jesus, you expect that God is going to get your attention. I expected to have my faith challenged … but I didn’t expect to be challenged by a shrub.

On the second day I was there, I was in the Judaea wilderness near the oasis of Ein-Gedi and I literally stumbled onto this plant.

Arara tree at Ein Ghedi

Considering it was 110 degree in the middle of a hard desert, this lush, green shrub got my attention. And as I looked closer, I saw there was fruit the size of a softball growing from the branches.

To a thirsty, hot traveller in the desert, this tree seems like a blessing. It leaves are healthy and green, and the fruit looks refreshing and full of life. But when I opened the fruit, it let out a puff of hot air and dust, and inside it was hollow and dry. The only thing inside the fruit was stringy, inedible webs that secreted a milky juice the local Bedouins warn is poisonous. A bedouin woman told me not to touch my eyes after holding the fruit because I would go blind!

Arara fruit

The fruit looks great on the outside, but is lifeless and dry on the inside.

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This plant is called an arara. This is what the prophet Jeremiah was referring to when he wrote: “Cursed are those who put their trust in mere humans, who rely on human strength … They are like stunted shrubs (arara) in the desert, with no hope for the future.” (Jeremiah 17:5-6).

It’s easy for us to become like the arara fruit. On the surface we might look like we’re healthy and have got it all together … but unless we are close to God, we will be dry, hollow and lifeless on the inside.

This shrub challenged me because I don’t want to be an arara. I don’t want to be an arara in my Christian walk. I don’t want to be an arara as a husband. I don’t want to be an arara as a dad. I don’t want to be an arara as a pastor.

What about you?

What are you doing today to ensure you’re healthy on the inside as well as refreshing and life-giving on the outside to those around you?