The Fruit of the Tree

It’s Autumn and the harvest time,

when the apple trees are bearing

fruit that’s worth a mile-long hike,

and the afternoon for sharing.

We will know the apple trees we seek

by the goodness they are yielding,

by the bounty they have rich in store,

and the fragrance all so pleasing.

But the trees that have no tasty fruit

and are pleasant not for eyeing,

offer branches that are mostly bare,

and some look as though they’re dying!

In the rosy light, we’ll choose the best

to be placed in baskets filling;

the love of Jesus in our hearts

will, with grace, be over-spilling.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.

Galatians 5:22-23

The Fruit of the Tree

Fragrant Fruit

Autumn is underway here in the woods with its distinct fragrances—apples, rain, cool mornings, frequent cups of coffee and tea and roasting from the oven that sat mostly dormant during the hot summer months. God, the Creator of seasons, is in control. He gives us what’s next.

What fragrance do you love?
And I wonder what fragrance God loves?

God includes senses, like smell, which He made, fashioned after Himself, in His story. Take, for example, Mary who opened the alabaster jar and the whole house in Bethany was filled with its aroma.

Then took Mary a pound of ointment
of spikenard, very costly,
and anointed the feet of Jesus,
and wiped his feet with her hair:
and the house was filled with the
odour of the ointment.
John 12:3

Mary anointed Jesus before He went to the cross. We read in the Old and New Testaments of the Bible that God was pleased with the aroma of sacrifice.

And Noah builded an altar unto the LORD; and took of every clean beast, and of every clean fowl, and offered burnt offerings on the altar.
And the LORD smelled a sweet savour; and the LORD said in his heart, I will not again curse the ground any more for man’s sake; for the imagination of man’s heart is evil from his youth; neither will I again smite any more every thing living, as I have done. While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease.
Genesis 8: 20-22

And ye shall offer with the bread seven lambs without blemish of the first year, and one young bullock, and two rams: they shall be for a burnt offering unto the LORD, with their meat offering, and their drink offerings, even an offering made by fire, of sweet savour unto the LORD.
Leviticus 23:18

And in the New Testament:

Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children; and walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling savour.
Ephesians 5:1-2

The aroma of decaying leaves is distinct to take in. As I think on these verses, I’m reminded that our ways are not God’s ways. It pleased Him. And that which pleases God is good to know. For God sent His Son to be an offering for our sins. Jesus, being obedient unto death on the cross, made purification for our sins by willingly laying down His life for us. He could have aborted the mission and called angels to His side. But, He went knowing not everyone would choose to believe.

That’s one reason why the gain is so sweet and the loss so tragic.

They that trust in their wealth,
and boast themselves in the multitude
of their riches; None of them can by
any means redeem his brother,
nor give to God a ransom for him:
(For the redemption of their soul is precious,
and it ceaseth for ever:) That he should
still live for ever, and not see corruption.
Psalm 49: 6-9

Did you catch that? The ransom for a life is costly. No payment is enough except in Jesus Christ, the Redeemer. The Lamb that was slain is the only one who is worthy to open the book and loose the seals in Revelation 5. It was John the Baptist who declared “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!”

Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance.
Matthew 3:8

As the season turns, we’re reminded that the Bible teaches us to turn. Turn around to Him who is tapping on the shoulder. Follow Jesus who loves us.

And I gave her space to repent
of her fornication; and she repented not.
Revelation 2:21

Somehow, our Creator knows who repents and who doesn’t. A designer knows his design. Those who do repent, like Mary, will gain eternal life. The Holy Spirit enters producing fruits: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. This wonderful, always-correct list of the fruits of the Spirit is worth memorizing.

Pray, then, for:

F   ragrant love.
R   idiculous joy.
A   bundant peace.
G   rand patience.
R   eal kindness.
A   luring goodness.
N   on-stop faithfulness.
C   ompassionate gentleness.
E   ven-keel self-control.

Pray for you and your family. Ask that you would have these traits over-flowing like a basket of apples tipped over and spilled out.  Pray that God would turn your being distraught into ridiculous joy. Ask God to give abundant peace to your friend who is heartsick over her family. Pray that God would bless your enemy with real kindness. Ask God to help you have grand patience. Pray that your teenager maintains even-keel self-control. God knows what we need. But, will we ask? Will we keep asking? Will we wait on the Lord? Will we rely on prayer, that privilege to express our heart to the Heart Reader? Our good Designer allows us to make the decision.

Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities:
for we know not what we should pray for
as we ought: but the Spirit itself
maketh intercession for us with groanings
which cannot be uttered.
And he that searcheth the hearts
knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit,
because he maketh intercession for the saints
according to the will of God. 
Romans 8:26-27

and 

Even so every good tree
bringeth forth good fruit;
but a corrupt tree
bringeth forth evil fruit.
Matthew 7:17
  
On the woodland trail, there is a wild apple orchard where some fallen apples have been crushed under foot. The smell permeates the air. There will be a season for those who have waited on the Lord to renew their strength. May the fragrance you love be the same God loves as you pray to sustain a life of peace.