|
HELEN SANDERS
4-28-2022
FRUITFULNESS
If you ever have planted seeds, your goal is to see them bear fruit. It takes patience and work to bring them to being fruitful. Not every seed will sprout, but those that do sprout must be watered and nourished until they mature.
I have always found it amazing how a little dirt over a seed brings forth new life. Yet, the process starts with dying. The seed may be beautiful, but it must die to reproduce. Its protective shell that was once hard breaks open for the sprout to come out.
Jesus spoke of seed that dies as he compared what would happen to him with a seed. In John 12:24 he said, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, except a corn (kernel or seed) of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.”
Jesus was that seed. He was planted through death, but his death brought forth life. He not only rose from the dead, but through his shedding of blood we too receive him like seed and our spirits come alive to Christ through salvation. You could say that Jesus is very fruitful.
But that is not the end of the story. Jesus wants us to bear fruit. He wants us to mature to the point that we have much fruit in our lives. When he looked at the fig tree without fruit, he cursed it. Every plant that grows is expected to bring forth fruit, but this fig tree was barren.
Jesus is looking for fruit in our lives. If we aren’t bearing fruit, he will “cut us back” for the purpose of new growth that will bring forth fruit.
We had a hard unexpected freeze in January and many trees and plants in the community I live nt were victims to it. Some died totally, but there are many that have been “cut back” so that new growth can come. Cutting back gives that plant or tree a “second chance.” Without it the tree would have suckers on it that would eventually cause the tree or plant to be unfruitful.
We must examine areas in our lives that are not bearing fruit for the kingdom and make the choice to cut them off so we can be more fruitful. It is never without pain when this takes place my friends, but it is absolutely necessary if we are to be fruitful.
What are some things that need to be cut away? How about anger? What about bitterness? What about those “hidden sins”? The list could go on and on. We either examine our hearts and deal with these things or the Lord will choose a way that will be much more painful.
He does not do this to hurt us. He does this to help us. Out of his love for each of us he chooses the cutting back. If we yield to it, we will be more fruitful.
Missed some of Helen's messages? click here to read
| 
