The Holy Once calls to me this morning. Springs is here. All the vegetation is starting to wake up and bloom. My attention has been drawn to a favorite tree in my forest garden. It is a unique tree in that it is designed to bear a variety of fruits on different branches of just one tree. It is a mixed fruit tree.
The Holy One uses things in the natural to teach and remind me of spiritual truth. This morning He speaks abut that fruit tree and me,
"You are like that tree. I designed and called you to bear a variety of fruit ".
My mind tracks back to the words of Jesus in John 15:16, "You did not choose me but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit, fruit that will last." and He goes on to say, "Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in My name. This is my command: Love one another".
This passage in scripture has always been among my favorites because I know the truth. The Lord did choose me otherwise I would not belong to Him. Nothing I could ever do in and of myself would justify His choosing me. The Lord has chosen all of us to come to Him but then permits free will to respond.
His choosing of us is intentional and eternal but the purpose in the temporal is that we bear fruit here on earth, otherwise once we accept His invitation we would be instantaneously translated to where He is AKA Heaven.
To understand and define the "fruit" we are to bear, The Holy One takes me to Paul's letter to the Galatians in chapter 5:22: "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control."
I know that Jesus said, that apart from Him I can do nothing, but by and through His indwelling Holy Spirit all things are possible.
The John passage is an important link to understanding the whys and wherefores of my life and my journey with Jesus.
Jesus chose me and appointed me to bear "fruit". Galatians tells me the "fruit" I have been appointed to bear is not possible in and of myself but only by His indwelling Holy Spirit.
Most all of the trials I face in this earth life are a challenge to one or more of the "fruits" I am to bear. The trials are like a pruning of the branches that bear the individual fruit on my mixed fruit tree.
If I consider the trials as enrichment of the fruit that the trial challenges, an amazing perspective of life begins to appear:
The pruning of love may involve someone's hatred of me.
The pruning of joy may involve a situation of despair.
The pruning of peace may involve an agitation of my native soul.
And the list goes on to include the pruning of:
Patience
Kindness
Goodness
Faithfulness
Gentleness
and self-control
The interesting conclusion of our appointment to go and bear fruit is that THEN the Father will give us whatever we ask for in His Name.
The fruits we are called to bear individually and the complete fruit that they are, happen to be the character qualities that represent Jesus and His Name. It is in "His" name that our petitions have their answers. His name (as our name) is who He is.
As we bear His fruit in our character, we represent a true picture of Him to the world. And in response to that fruit bearing, The Father will give us whatever we ask in Jesus name.
Today I purpose to consider the trials of life I am facing, to consider what branch is being pruned and to consider what fruit is being challenged. Today, I am thankful for the lesson of the mixed fruit tree and me.
The Spirit is calling. Can you hear Him?
The Holy One uses things in the natural to teach and remind me of spiritual truth. This morning He speaks abut that fruit tree and me,
"You are like that tree. I designed and called you to bear a variety of fruit ".
My mind tracks back to the words of Jesus in John 15:16, "You did not choose me but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit, fruit that will last." and He goes on to say, "Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in My name. This is my command: Love one another".
This passage in scripture has always been among my favorites because I know the truth. The Lord did choose me otherwise I would not belong to Him. Nothing I could ever do in and of myself would justify His choosing me. The Lord has chosen all of us to come to Him but then permits free will to respond.
His choosing of us is intentional and eternal but the purpose in the temporal is that we bear fruit here on earth, otherwise once we accept His invitation we would be instantaneously translated to where He is AKA Heaven.
To understand and define the "fruit" we are to bear, The Holy One takes me to Paul's letter to the Galatians in chapter 5:22: "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control."
I know that Jesus said, that apart from Him I can do nothing, but by and through His indwelling Holy Spirit all things are possible.
The John passage is an important link to understanding the whys and wherefores of my life and my journey with Jesus.
Jesus chose me and appointed me to bear "fruit". Galatians tells me the "fruit" I have been appointed to bear is not possible in and of myself but only by His indwelling Holy Spirit.
Most all of the trials I face in this earth life are a challenge to one or more of the "fruits" I am to bear. The trials are like a pruning of the branches that bear the individual fruit on my mixed fruit tree.
If I consider the trials as enrichment of the fruit that the trial challenges, an amazing perspective of life begins to appear:
The pruning of love may involve someone's hatred of me.
The pruning of joy may involve a situation of despair.
The pruning of peace may involve an agitation of my native soul.
And the list goes on to include the pruning of:
Patience
Kindness
Goodness
Faithfulness
Gentleness
and self-control
The interesting conclusion of our appointment to go and bear fruit is that THEN the Father will give us whatever we ask for in His Name.
The fruits we are called to bear individually and the complete fruit that they are, happen to be the character qualities that represent Jesus and His Name. It is in "His" name that our petitions have their answers. His name (as our name) is who He is.
As we bear His fruit in our character, we represent a true picture of Him to the world. And in response to that fruit bearing, The Father will give us whatever we ask in Jesus name.
Today I purpose to consider the trials of life I am facing, to consider what branch is being pruned and to consider what fruit is being challenged. Today, I am thankful for the lesson of the mixed fruit tree and me.
The Spirit is calling. Can you hear Him?
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