Bible Verse of the Day


2 Peter 1:5-8


For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Monday, March 14, 2011

Be Fruitful in Spite of Circumstance


I have a love of fig trees. I have always had a deep need to plant fig trees at my own home, long story there. I’ll save that for another day. The thing is, fig trees are a symbol of a time of innocence and deep seeded security for me. On a recent trip back to my childhood hometown, I was able to procure four cuttings from a fig tree on my paternal family’s homestead. This land is no longer in the family so this is a huge deal to me. I pray I they will live in spite of the rocky conditions here on Hacienda Hill. Other figs I’ve planted have not.

Matthew 7:17-20 Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a corrupt tree bears evil fruit. A good tree cannot produce evil fruit, nor can a corrupt tree produce good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and cast into the fire. So then you will know them by their fruits.

I want to plant a fig tree — would I search for lemon seeds? Of course not! And even if I planted a fig tree next to a lemon tree, it would still only produce figs, no matter how close it was planted to the lemon tree.

So in our lives, though we may be surrounded with sourness, even planted in a “lemon grove”, we are “fig trees” — and the sweetness of our fruit will remain, because we were planted by the Lord Himself, to produce good fruit under all conditions. There is no question that if we are planted in Him the good fruit we bear will come forth in both good times and bad times.

Life is filled with ups and downs, unforeseen circumstances that send our lives in strange loops we weren’t expecting — nevertheless we were fashioned to be fruit bearers…unconditionally. You may say, “You don’t understand, you have no idea what’s happening in my life right now!” You’re right, I don’t but I do know the Lord who laid down his life unconditionally for you so He could abide in you and you in Him. Guess what for…

If life is overwhelming you, then it’s time to reach down deep and draw nourishment from the Root of our lives — Yeshua the Messiah. The sap of His Life will produce much good fruit! The God-given sweetness of life is found in Jesus. Hmmm, think that little girl of my past found security among the fig trees as a coincidence? I don’t think so, God’s ways are higher than our ways.

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