November 17, 2014
There are two orange trees in my back yard that exist on borrowed time. I planted them with the expectation they would bear luscious oranges, but currently one tree is bearing one orange, and the other none. Their green leaves are pretty, but we didn’t plant them to admire their leaves; we planted them to bear fruit.
"Let me sing now for my well-beloved A song of my beloved concerning His vineyard. My well-beloved had a vineyard on a fertile hill. He dug it all around, removed its stones, And planted it with the choicest vine. And He built a tower in the middle of it And also hewed out a wine vat in it; Then He expected it to produce good grapes, But it produced only worthless ones.” (Isaiah 5.1-2)
The tale of a vineyard is similar to my orange trees. Except that the vineyard belongs to Creator God, and it’s really about people and works rather than literal plants and fruit. "For the vineyard of the LORD of hosts is the house of Israel And the men of Judah His delightful plant. Thus He looked for justice, but behold, bloodshed; For righteousness, but behold, a cry of distress.” (Isaiah 5.7)
Shame on Israel! Did they not know that God expected produce rather than mere lip profession? But, lest we be overly critical of this obvious failure, the same lesson applies to all His people - anywhere, anytime. As with my trees, bearing the store label of a picture of a tree loaded down with ripe oranges, there is an expectation that those who bear God’s label will also be fruit-bearing. Jesus said it well: "So every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a bad tree produce good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. So then, you will know them by their fruits.” (Matthew 7.17-20)
Lest we think we are responsible for bearing fruit, we are mistaken concerning the process. Only God through His Spirit can do that (Galatians 5.22-23). It is the responsibility of every believer to “abide in the vine” (John 15.1-11) so that life-giving spiritual nourishment can flow, and provide luscious, abundant fruit.
God, and His Son, Jesus, are in partnership to produce fruit in the lives of followers. Lack of fruit is indicative of lack of connection. Abundant fruit is evidence of a vital connection. May we be vitally connected, and abundantly fruit bearing!
Steve
©Steve Taylor, 2014
Be sure to also visit http://thetruthrevolution.wordpress.com/
Amazon ebook & print devotional -http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00FQ1Q9GW
paperback print copy of book — https://www.createspace.com/4500045
"Let me sing now for my well-beloved A song of my beloved concerning His vineyard. My well-beloved had a vineyard on a fertile hill. He dug it all around, removed its stones, And planted it with the choicest vine. And He built a tower in the middle of it And also hewed out a wine vat in it; Then He expected it to produce good grapes, But it produced only worthless ones.” (Isaiah 5.1-2)
The tale of a vineyard is similar to my orange trees. Except that the vineyard belongs to Creator God, and it’s really about people and works rather than literal plants and fruit. "For the vineyard of the LORD of hosts is the house of Israel And the men of Judah His delightful plant. Thus He looked for justice, but behold, bloodshed; For righteousness, but behold, a cry of distress.” (Isaiah 5.7)
Shame on Israel! Did they not know that God expected produce rather than mere lip profession? But, lest we be overly critical of this obvious failure, the same lesson applies to all His people - anywhere, anytime. As with my trees, bearing the store label of a picture of a tree loaded down with ripe oranges, there is an expectation that those who bear God’s label will also be fruit-bearing. Jesus said it well: "So every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a bad tree produce good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. So then, you will know them by their fruits.” (Matthew 7.17-20)
Lest we think we are responsible for bearing fruit, we are mistaken concerning the process. Only God through His Spirit can do that (Galatians 5.22-23). It is the responsibility of every believer to “abide in the vine” (John 15.1-11) so that life-giving spiritual nourishment can flow, and provide luscious, abundant fruit.
God, and His Son, Jesus, are in partnership to produce fruit in the lives of followers. Lack of fruit is indicative of lack of connection. Abundant fruit is evidence of a vital connection. May we be vitally connected, and abundantly fruit bearing!
Steve
©Steve Taylor, 2014
Be sure to also visit http://thetruthrevolution.wordpress.com/
Amazon ebook & print devotional -http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00FQ1Q9GW
paperback print copy of book — https://www.createspace.com/4500045
posted by steve @ 8:35 AM
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