Jan 10 – New Fruits!

“The mandrakes give off a fragrance, And at our gates are pleasant fruits, All manner, new and old, Which I have laid up for you, my beloved” (Song of Solomon 7:13)

Our Lord makes everything new. He turns those who are leading a fruitless life into those who are fruitful. And He turns those who are producing bitter fruits into those who yield sweet and tasty fruits.

Imagine that you plant the saplings of fruit-yielding trees in your garden. You will prepare the ground, plant the saplings, provide nutrients, water them and take good care of them. In a few years, those saplings will grow into strong trees and start yielding fruits. And there will be no limit to your happiness on seeing those trees with fruits. You will feel happier in consuming the fruit of your tree than other fruits.

In a similar manner, God also expects you to bear fruits. When the fig tree in the middle of a garden was not bearing fruits, the owner wanted the tree to be cut down. At the time of judgment, the axe is placed near the root of the tree. But just because the keeper of the garden pleaded to the owner, he granted a grace period of one year for that tree. The tree escaped certain destruction, just because that tree was in the vineyard and because of the pleading of the keeper.

But if the tree were to be by the road, no gardener would have been there to plead for its cause. When the Lord said “Let no fruit grow on you ever again.” Immediately the fig tree withered away. But you should be like a tree Planted by the rivers of water, That brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf also shall not wither; And whatever he does shall prosper (Psalm 1:3)

The Scripture tells us: “along the bank of the river, on this side and that, will grow all kinds of trees used for food; their leaves will not wither, and their fruit will not fail. They will bear fruit every month, because their water flows from the sanctuary. Their fruit will be for food, and their leaves for medicine” (Ezekiel 47:12).

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law” (Galatians 5:22-23). Children of God, it is the desire of God to see the fruit of the Spirit in your lives.

Verse for further meditation: “Therefore, by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name” (Hebrews 13:15).