Tag: spiritual fruit

Hidden Fruit

See all my sweet peas? No? I don’t see them either. But they are there. Right after I took this picture, I picked 40 and left 27 to grow. They are there.

A few are right there on the end of the little branch, proudly declaring themselves, but most of them hide behind stems and leaves, worried about the bright sun and marauding birds, too timid and embarrassed to expose themselves.

But there is a trick to get this fruit to show. Gently shake the plant. The sweet peas react differently to the shaking than the leaves and stems do. They sway differently. Your eye, if you are looking, sees the difference at once.

The Holy Spirit, bearing His fruit in our lives, allows us to react differently as well. When God gently shakes our world, our reactions differ from those of the non-believers around us.  

Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you. Matthew 5:11-12.

Perhaps our world just needs a little shaking for our fruit to show up.

I must admit I would rather the shaking not be necessary. I would rather the fruit be obvious. Oddly enough, even then, it is sometimes hard to see.

Sometimes I don’t see the fruit that is right in front of my eyes. Sometimes I don’t see my keys sitting on the table, or the mayo in the fridge. What is it that makes me not see the thing right in front of my eyes? Is my mind preoccupied with other thoughts? Am I so stressed about looking for it that I’m temporarily blinded? Am I running some visual tape from the past instead of actually looking at the present view? Do I do this with issues far more important than mayo or keys or peas?

You will indeed listen, but never understand, and you will indeed look, but never perceive. For this people’s heart has grown dull, and their ears hard of hearing, and they have shut their eyes; so that they might not look with their eyes, and listen with their ears, and understand with their heart and turn – and I would heal them. Matthew 13:14-15, Also Acts 28:26, Isaiah 6:10, Jeremiah 5:21, Ezekiel 12:2.

Somehow, we can tell when we are looking and actually seeing. We can tell when others are actually seeing us; we can sense it when we are talking to them. I can only imagine what it must have felt like to have Jesus concentrate his gaze on you. Whether you were a rich young ruler (Mark 10:21), a tax collector (Luke 19:5), a fisherman (Matthew 4:18), or a denying disciple (Luke 22:61), when Jesus looked at you, when Jesus saw you, he saw what was really there. Not blinded by outward appearances, societal norms, or preconceived notions, Jesus looked and saw.

Jesus can see the fruit that the Holy Spirit is growing in our lives. God can give us this type of sight as well. We can see God around us; we can see the fruit in others; we can see the fruit in ourselves.

So have no fear; for nothing is covered up that will not be uncovered, and nothing secret that will not become known. What I have said to you in the dark, tell in the light; and what you hear whispered proclaim from the rooftops. Matthew 10:26-27.

These verses aren’t talking about the shameful things we try to hide; these verses are talking about the fruit that God is bearing in our lives, the tender moments when He heals our pain and takes our hand. When God is bearing fruit in your life, some of it will be obvious, but some may hide, camouflaged by our daily lives. So don’t worry when God shakes your life a little; He’s just making His fruit obvious to the world.

Betsy

First Fruits

The sweet peas are in! What a cause for celebration!

While the rest of my garden plants are establishing their roots and bringing forth new leaves, these beautiful plants are filling my basket with abundance.

These are the first fruits of my garden.

You shall take some of the first of all the fruit of the ground from the land that God is giving you, and you shall put it in a basket and go to the place that the Lord your God will choose. Then you, along with the Levites and the aliens who reside among you, shall celebrate with all the bounty that the Lord your God has given to you and your house. Deuteronomy 26: 2,11

Moses established an annual celebration for the people of God to thank the Lord for His provision and celebrate with those who couldn’t provide for themselves (The Levites and aliens had no land and so no crops). I shared mine with some Christian women with no gardens, and our church staff (modern day Levites).

I love that my peas ripen during the period the Jews celebrate as the Festival of Weeks, the 7 weeks between Passover and Pentecost. When exactly one makes the first fruit offering during this period is unclear. Many have it occur on the first day of the week after Passover – that would be Easter Sunday.

But in fact, Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have died. I Corinthians 15:20

But one could make their first fruits offering any time during the seven weeks, even as late as Pentecost, when Jews celebrated the gift of the Law in addition to the gift of fruit. Pentecost, when God gave us the gift of the Holy Spirit as well.

We ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly while we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. Romans 8:23

So Christ is the first fruit, and we who abide in Him are also first fruits. What a cause for celebration! The Lord our God has certainly provided all that we need!

Since I can’t share my sweet peas with you online, I want to share something else. God provides for us and asks that we share His provision with others. That certainly refers to His physical provision, but I think it also refers to His spiritual provision. We are to tell our stories.

What a Wonderful God

I am a woman, come down from the mountain to tell my story, a story of the majesty and wonder of God. How glorious it is on the mountain! Surrounded by endless sky, the stars seem close enough to touch. Pure crisp air fills the lungs; and the joy of God’s presences fills my soul. He takes my hand and leads me.

               What a wonderful God He is, to bring me to this place, to show me His glory, to call me by name. What a wonderful God!

I am a woman, come up from the pit to tell you my story, a story of the grace and mercy of God. How gentle He is with my pain, how tender He is as I weep from my heart. He comforts me as my guilt and doubt and fear shred me to pieces. His presence heals my wounds. He takes my hand and leads me.

               What a wonderful God He is, to bring me out of this place, to show me His gracious love, to call me by name. What a wonderful God!

I am a woman, come across the plain to tell my story, a story of the support and providence of God. He provides fresh water and rest along the way. He keeps me on the path and carries my load. Troubled by hidden rocks, encouraged by fragrant flowers, wearied by the endless vistas, He whispers, “There is better ahead.” He takes my hand and leads me.

               What a wonderful God He is, to walk with me through this place, to show me His faithfulness, to call me by name. What a wonderful God!

Happy Pentecost, you first fruits of the Spirit! I am grateful for you!

Betsy

Everything I need

I have the space, the tiller, the fertilizer and the fencing. I have the weed barrier, the seeds, and the plant food. I have the water source and the hose. I have cover to protect the young plants and supports to help the growing ones. Now all I need is to actually start the garden.

While cleaning out the garage, I found bags of fertilizer and plant food. I had not realized that Nick has used either of these. It’s no wonder the garden grew better under his care! Now I have some to add to my arsenal.

I have everything I need to grow a garden which will bear wonderful fruit. I just need to do it.

Because until I actually commit to doing it, all these tools aren’t worth much. They are like a rubber band lying on the counter. Unrealized potential.

I check my calendar. How much time do I need to set aside? Do I have to set aside a large block of time, or can I get the garden ready in stages? Till and add fertilizer in step one. Prepare and put down weed barrier in step two. Fence and border in step three. Plant the seeds and water in step four. Cleaning out the garage has taught me that this plan works better for me, but the seeds should be planted by early March, so I need to get moving!

Am I that intentional about growing my relationship with Jesus?

His divine power has given us everything needed for life and godliness. 2 Peter 1:3

God has given me this day, this time, His Spirit, His Word. God has given me an active church, Christian friends, Bible studies and wise counselors. I trust the Holy Spirit to protect and support my growth. Now all I have to do is actually start developing that relationship.

I have been reading Robert J. Morgan’s book on Biblical Meditation. There’s all kinds of wonderful practices to deepen my relationship with God that I have never used. They seemed to have worked well for him. Now I can add them to my arsenal.

I have everything I need to grow in my relationship with God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. I just need to do it.

Because until I actually commit to doing it, all these tools aren’t worth much. They are like a rubber band lying on the counter. Unrealized potential.

But be doers of the word, and not merely hearers who deceive themselves. James 1:22

What does this look like? Quiet time set aside intentionally for prayer may be step one. A commitment to studying the Bible daily may be step two. A good devotional book which challenges and inspires me may be step three. Time to listen, ponder, absorb and consider God’s role in my life may be step four. But I am already in my 60’s, so I better get moving!

Those seeds need to be put in the ground; God’s word needs to be written in my heart. Until that is done, I cannot expect to bear the fruit I so desperately want.

Do you want Love? Joy? Peace? Patience? Would you like to respond to difficulties with kindness and gentleness? Would you like to be known for your generosity, faithfulness, and self-control? I would. I know these things rarely spring into being in my life. This is fruit that has to be grown. (Galatians 5:22)

This is fruit that God grows in my life through the Holy Spirit as I abide more and more with Jesus. (John 15)

It’s time to get that garden growing.

Thank you for reading along as I begin year two in the Victory Garden. Thank you for subscribing or following. Thank you for sharing this with your friends. I look forward to good fruit.

Betsy