Fragrant Fruit

What fragrance do you love?
What smells are wonderful to you?

The Fall season is underway around here in my neck of the woods. I can smell the leaves. Fall has its distinct fragrances—apples, rain, cool mornings, more frequent cups of coffee and tea and candles burning inside. 

I think of Mary who anointed Jesus. She opened the alabaster jar and the whole house in Bethany was filled with a pleasing aroma. God, in the Old and New Testaments, was pleased with the aroma of sacrifice. He sent His Son to die for our sins. Jesus made purification for our sins, His blood covering our sins. That is the Good News!

We love the aroma of love and forgiveness. The Holy Spirit produces fruits: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. In other words, they're always correct.

Pray, then, for:

F   antastic love.
R   idiculous joy.
A   bundant peace.
G   reat patience.
R   eal kindness.
A   bove-all goodness.
N   ever-without faithfulness.
C   ompassionate gentleness.
E   ven-keel self-control.

Pray the nine fruits of the Spirit for yourself and your family. Ask that you would have these fruits abundantly, indeed, over-flowing!  

You anoint my head with oil,

my cup overflows.

Psalm 23:5b

If we ask for much, our hearts might overflow. Pray that God would give your distraught friend ridiculous joy. Ask God to give abundant peace to your friend who is heartsick over his lost family. Pray that God would soften the heart of your daughter with real kindness. Ask God to give your short-tempered spouse great patience. Pray that your teenage son living in today's days maintains steady self-control.

In the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words; and He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. 

Romans 8:26-27 

Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit,

but a bad tree bears bad fruit.

Matthew 7:17 
 

What fragrance do you leave behind? What lingers? 

May it be a fragrant, wonderful aroma pleasing to God!  (It will probably be pleasing to others, too.)

Raise hope.