Deeply Rooted

But blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him. He will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit. (Jer 17:7-8)

Here again is the metaphor of the tree we find in Psalm 1. The echo of it is in Col 2:6-7 as well, which speaks of being rooted in Christ. I love when Jeremiah says, “It does not fear when heat comes.” The living water that flows from Christ is inexhaustible! Being rooted in him, my spirit will not wither when the world turns up the heat. I can be like the tree of life in Rev 22, bearing fruit in every season. Lord, I will trust you when hard times come. I know you will never fail me. Thank you for the life you have given me. May others look at me and see the fruit of a life spent deeply rooted in your word and your Spirit. Amen.

Digging Up Your Talent

Therefore I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people who will product its fruit. (Mt 21:43)

In this Parable of the Tenants, the wicked tenants kill the master’s son and refuse to give him the master’s share of the fruit. It is clearly very important to God that we who have been entrusted with his kingdom bear fruit. In my timidity, this is the very thing I have not done. I am like the wicked, lazy servant who buried his talent (Mt 25:26). Lord, I don’t want to bury my talent any more. I want to be in the game, getting roughed up sometimes, but bearing fruit for you. Thank you that you have been helping me see how I need to change. Thanks you for your Holy Spirit who will empower me to change and to act on your behalf. Thank you for your great patience with me.

The Good Soil

But the one who received the seed that fell on the good soil is the man who hears the word and understands it. He produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. (Mt 13:23)

This is the man I want to be. I don’t want to be the one who lets life’s trials or the cares of the world snatch away what I have in Christ. I marvel that my life is so unproductive. I let timidity and laziness keep me from being obedient to his Word. Lord, transform me from the inside out, by the power of your Holy Spirit. I want to yield a good crop in whatever time I have left.