Sunday, September 1, 2013



A Jewel - The Fruit Produced by God

I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my whole being shall exult in my God; for He has clothed me with the garments of salvation, He has covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decks Himself with a garland, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.  For as the earth brings forth its shoots, and as a garden causes what is sown in it to spring up, so the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise to spring up before all the nations.  Isaiah 61:10-11  
 
  To be a jewel in the sight of the Lord is a concept that really appeals to me and I'm sure to many others.  Today the jewel I am focusing on is the fruit produced by God.  In reading the words of the two verses used I'm reminded of the produce Jonathan and Carl have received as a result of their work in their garden.  No matter how much or little work has been done by them they could never have made the produce be there.  They could well have given an atmosphere for it but only God could make the fruit to be there.  His work is beyond our abilities and comprehension.  All our work is in vain if the Lord does not provide the end result.  This result, in the case of the garden, is the squash, tomato, cucumber, etc.  So many of the fruit is in great abundance due to the work applied. 
   However, when the work was done on one of the plants all the fruit rots no matter what work has been put into it.  There is a blight of some kind in that one plant and no matter what we do, it does no good. 
   Sometimes it's like that in the church.  We, the church, try to work out a situation, tend it the best way we can, and yet it never does produce the fruit expected or desired.  These are the times we need to realize that only God can produce the fruit for this plant.  For you see, only He can see the true heart of the situation.  We can do everything there is to do, and when there is found in it a blight, only the Lord can cause a change to come about so that the fruit produced can bring glory to Him.  I don't mean in saying this that we need to stop doing all we can to bring about the desired result, but that we completely depend on the Lord to lead us in the right ways to tend this situation, plant, and eventually see His fruit come in its season. 
   You know, there may be something that we'll find to do in working with this plant in the guys' garden that will work during the season of producing.  If so, we'll partake of the fruit of it.  If not, we'll be excited to partake of the surrounding fruit and know that there was nothing else we could do.
   Sometimes we are to do that very thing in life's situations that we face.  We are to listen to the Lord and do what He directs knowing that often there are situations, plants, that come into our lives that we have no control over due to the fact that there are others who make choices, choices that may not be aligned with God's plan.  However, in these situations God can work to provide the desired fruit.  And in trusting God to bring about His desired plan we will continue to seek Him in what our part will be and walk in it in total abandon to Him in obedience to His Word.
 
In His Love and Service,
©

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