Fragrant Fruit

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

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

I love the fragrance of love and forgiveness. I think of the woman who anointed Jesus. She opened her alabaster jar and the whole house in Bethany was filled with a pleasing aroma. God, in the Old Testament, was pleased with the aroma of sacrifice. And He was very pleased in the New Testament! He sent His Son to die for our sins. Jesus willingly went to the cross for us. He made purification for our sins, His blood covering our sins.

What does the Holy Spirit produce? It produces fruits: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. 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. Pray that you would have these fruits abundantly, indeed, over-flowing! 

You anoint my head with oil,

my cup overflows.

Psalm 23:5b

Ask the nine fruits for your family and friends. Pray that God would give your distraught friend ridiculous joy—overwhelming 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 rough daughter with a sense of real kindness. Ask God to give your short-tempered spouse great patience. Pray that God would give your teenage son living in today's days 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.)

Keep following the way of love.