There are times
in our lives
that we need to
have some trials
happen to us to
get the fruit
producing in our
lives again.
Jesus told a
parable in
regards to this:
“A certain man
had a fig tree
planted in his
vineyard, and he
came looking for
fruit on it, but
did not find
[any]. So he
said to the
vinedresser, See
here! For these
three years I
have come
looking for
fruit on this
fig tree and I
find none. Cut
it down! Why
should it
continue also to
use up the
ground [to
deplete the
soil, intercept
the sun, and
take up room]?
But he replied
to him, Leave it
alone, sire
[just] this one
more year, till
I dig around it
and put manure
[on the soil].
Then perhaps it
will bear fruit
after this; but
if not you can
cut it down and
out.” Luke
13:6-9
Sometimes it
takes a little
“manure” to get
the fruit
growing again.
October 15, 2001
Raking leaves
this week it
occurred to me
how in the Bible
many times there
is a reference
to trees, roots
and fruit in the
context of
believers. I
thought about
the fig tree
Jesus cursed
because it had
no fruit. “And
as He saw one
single leafy fig
tree above the
roadside, He
went to it but
he found nothing
but leaves on it
[seeing that in
the fig tree the
fruit appears at
the same time as
the leaves]. And
He said to it,
Never again
shall fruit grow
on you! And the
fig tree
withered up at
once.“ Matt.
21:19 The leaves
on the tree led
Him to believe
something that
was
not true. The
tree was a fake
and had to go.
“Beware of false
prophets, who
come to you
dressed as
sheep, but
inside they are
devouring
wolves. You will
fully recognize
them by their
fruits. Do
people pick
grapes from
thorns, or figs
from thistles?
Even so, every
healthy (sound)
tree bears good
fruit but the
sickly
(worthless) tree
bears bad
(worthless)
fruit. A good
(healthy) tree
cannot bear bad
(worthless)
fruit, nor can a
bad (diseased)
tree bear
excellent fruit.
Every tree that
does not bear
good fruit is
cut down and
cast into the
fire. Therefore,
you will fully
know them by
their fruits.“
Matthew 7:15-20
As Christians, we are to bear fruit as well. “Bring forth fruit that is consistent with repentance [let your lives prove your change of heart]“ Matt 3:8. “...so that now you may belong to Another, to Him Who was raised from the dead in order that we may bear fruit for God.” Romans 7:4b There are seasons of our lives that we are dormant and not visually growing, but inside of us, there is something going on. In the spring, the buds show up on our branches, the sap starts flowing and we bear fruit. If we are Christians that do all the “things” on the outside that Christians are “supposed” to do and when someone gets close to us, they find there is no fruit beneath our leaves, we are a fake, a hypocrite and should be cursed and thrown into the fire.
I was sitting on the sofa the other day and I heard a huge gust of wind. I looked out the window and saw the leaves off the trees blowing sideways across the yard. I was reminded that just as the leaves on the trees change colors and fall off, so do the things in our lives that God is through with. There are times the Holy Spirit’s wind blows through our lives to make the things that are dead fall off of us. There are things we sometimes insist on hanging on to. Maybe it is something God once anointed us for and now wants us to move on. Yet, we hang on to whatever it is; teaching Sunday School, working in the Nursery, attending prayer meeting, whatever it is. We hang on because it is a good thing and God really used it in our lives and we think we are to keep it. “Any branch in Me that does not bear fruit [that stops bearing] He cuts away; and he cleanses and repeatedly prunes every branch that continues to bear fruit, to make it bear more and richer and more excellent fruit.” John 15:2