THE FRUIT OF THE TREE

It’s Autumn and the harvest time
when the apple trees are bearing
sweet fruit that’s worth a mile-long hike,
and the afternoon for sharing.
 
We will know the apples 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,
and our baskets we’ll be 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

A tree is known by its fruit. A person is known by his or her heart. That’s a tall order! Day by day, season by season, however, God is available to help us become more like Him. 

Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.

Matthew 5:48

Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind.

Philippians 2:2

And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

Romans 12:2

Like a person broken down by the road, we must indicate our need for help. We must wave our arms to be provided assistance. We must pray with a believing heart that our Heavenly Father is able to help us with a particular need.

Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.

Jeremiah 33:3

He who created the earth and heaven (and time!) must be fully equipped to handle soothing our hearts and lifting distress, to encourage and sustain, and to provide and deliver.

I trust you make prayer a practice. Work out details by bringing them, again, to the LORD, like preparing a prelude to be played at the start of the Sunday morning worship service. Return to the difficult passages and play them slower this time, getting the fingering correct. Invest time in prayer as a musician would on her instrument. I trust you still make prayer a daily practice. Pray throughout the day.

Pray without ceasing.

1 Thessalonians 5:17

Another tall order, but proof that God is always available.

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

We read in the Old and New Testaments of the Bible that God is 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

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

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

As I think on these verses while breathing in the smell of apples, I’m reminded that the goodness extended to us from God should be reason enough to be good to others. God sent His Son as an offering for our sins. Being obedient unto death on the cross, Jesus made purification for our sins by laying down His life for us. He went, even knowing not everyone would choose to believe.

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

On the woodland trail, there is a wild apple orchard where fallen apples are crushed under foot. The smell permeates the air. May the fragrance you love be the same that God loves. May your prayerful life continue to rely on God’s goodness.