God's Favorite Fruit

Anyone who knows me well knows just how much I love to EAT! In fact, I

love to eat all kinds of foods from all five food groups. I truly savor all sorts of foods with varying textures, smells, and tastes. But I do believe that some of my absolute favorite foods are fruits ripened and in season. Take a big, juicy strawberry, for instance. Or how how about fresh blackberries, peaches, nectarines, and exotic fruits such as kiwi and mangos? My mouth waters just thinking about how delicious they taste. How about you? What type of fruit do you savor and long for?

My mind turns to yet another type of fruit—heavenly fruit. It is the fruit that gets God’s full and undivided attention. It is not edible, of course. Yet it is a fruit that God honors and unequivocally savors. It is called the “fruit of the Spirit” and its effects last much longer than the edible kind.

As Christians growing in the Lord, God calls us to possess these qualities in increasing measure. Now, I have to be brutally honest. How is it possible to always be lovable, joyful, peaceful, patient, and kind? How can I always have goodness, gentleness, and faithfulness in my heart? Let us not forget self-control, which I believe is one of the most difficult character traits to possess.

Early in my walk with Christ I remember asking God specifically for these fruits of the Spirit. “Please Lord, give me love, give me joy, give my peace, give me patience, give me, give me, give me.” Now, please don’t misunderstand me. My heart was in the right place, but I was somewhat misinformed. I soon found out that there is no way my human sinful nature could display all of these wonderful virtues in my life day in and day out. I would try to be loving, patient, and kind and some days I did pretty well. Then the next day would roll around and for some reason I lacked patience and self-control. Of course, I’d blame it on hormonal imbalance or my kids. I quickly began a self-defeating, downward spiral believing that I would never be able to possess all of these wonderful character traits. Frustratingly, I concluded that I just didn’t have what it takes.

Fortunately, God loves me enough to clarify His Word to me. My eyes were opened and I found new hope as I began to understand that I would never be able to master the fruits of the Spirit in my own strength. I learned that the Holy Spirit is working spontaneously in me to produce these character traits and only as I fill myself with Him will I ever be able to exhibit these stellar qualities. Simply put, they are by-products of living under His control. God lovingly taught me that the more I submitted to His control, the easier it would be for me to be loving, joyful, or patient. I realized that the Holy Spirit is the one who possesses all of these qualities and I can’t obtain them in my own strength or get them without his help. In short, I can not bypass a relationship with Him. These qualities are the very nature of Jesus Christ and as I join my life with His and make my relationship with Him a priority, He will begin to produce these traits in me in increasing measure.

Will I still mess up and lack self-control or patience at times? I know I will. But through God’s forgiveness and grace He will enable me to begin again. Thank goodness, He doesn’t give up on me as easily as I do myself! Together, we’ll tackle these virtues that need to be perfected. I know he’ll lovingly teach and guide me because He’s invested a lot in me. And he thinks I’m worth it!

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Gal 5:22.

Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. Lam 3:23

Waiting on God

My pastor is currently doing a series on Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount wherein Jesus gave the Beatitudes. Jesus taught the multitudes about what really mattered – heartfelt obedience, not legalistic observance of the law. The third beatitude talks about the meek. “Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth” Matthew 5:5. I’ve always wondered what it means to be meek. Although the dictionary defines it as being patient, humble and submissive, the worldly definition seems to invoke a state of “weakness” and “timidity.” Is that what meekness really is? No. On the contrary, biblical meekness is strength under control. It involves quietly submitting to God and in one’s patience keeping possession of his own soul, even when he cannot possess or change anything else. In other words, he recognizes that “self” can’t do anything. Basically it means that self-help can’t help. It is a recognition and desire to hand over the controls of your life to God. Biblical meekness is about releasing your life and decisions to God. You recognize that you are insufficient to handle life on your own. Then, you do the hardest part of all—be still and wait on God, especially through the difficult situations. God is certainly not slumbering while you are waiting for His answer. He has a magnificent way of working on his children during the “waiting” period, and often the process of waiting for a message from God can be just as important as the message itself. So be on the lookout for God’s answers. Don’t give in to worry which will do nothing but promote anxiety and distrust.

What makes waiting so difficult? It is interesting to note that we are willing to wait on things that are important to us. For example, we wait in line at a grocery store so we can buy groceries; we wait by the phone for an important phone call regarding a doctor’s prognosis; we wait for months for the arrival of a healthy baby; and we even plan and wait for next summer’s vacation. In short, the value we place on a person or object dictates the amount of time we are willing to wait on them. Don’t we value hearing from God? Why is it we always feel we have to run ahead of Him and take matters into our own hands? It is inevitable—He will speak and He will act, yet in His timing. The question remains, “Are you willing to wait?”

If you are willing to wait on God why not take a moment to consider meekness. Jesus taught that the meek are blessed and will inherit the earth. Remember though that being blessed means much more than a state of happiness. Things in this life do not always promote happiness. Can you be happy when you watch your savings account plummet to an all time low? Can you be happy when your employer terminates your position due to downsizing and hard economic times? Can you be happy when your child makes unwise decisions that reap severe consequences? No, of course not. Being blessed in God’s kingdom means experiencing a hope and joy despite any difficult circumstances you may be going through. This hope and joy goes much deeper. It means not fretting over unrighteousness, but leaving that in the hands of mighty God. It involves releasing your fears and the things you have tried to control over to Him. It means following Jesus and trusting Him to keep His Word. Above all it means continually focusing on Him, not your outward circumstances. This is not to say that it will be easy—it will take diligent effort on your part. Fill your mind with the truth of God’s Word and let it sink in deep. Surround yourself with Christian brothers and sisters who can pray for you in your weakness. Pray and fast while you wait for your answer.

When Jesus says the meek will inherit the earth I believe He is saying that this meek state of heart will promote comfort and security, and that you truly will be able to find solace and peace even in the midst of difficulty. Continue to be patient, doing the work God has given you to do, and allow Him to choose the best time to change your circumstances. He promises that if you submit to His timing, He will honor you.

“Wait for the Lord and keep his way. He will exalt you to inherit the land; when the wicked are cut off, you will see it. Psalm 37:34

“Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time.” 1 Peter 5:6

“Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him and he will do this: He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun. Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him.” Psalm 37:5

Are you listening?

How many times have you prayed to God for an answer or for specific direction; yet shortly thereafter frustratingly concluded that you need to take matters into your own hands? Even though you know that the God in heaven hears your prayers, how on earth is He supposed to answer them? Or does He even answer them? Maybe He just wants us to figure things out for ourselves. After all, that is why He gave us a mind, right?

Over the years I’ve certainly questioned how and if God answers our prayers and I now know with full conviction that YES, God does speak to his children. I have also come to realize that He had been trying to speak to me for a long time through many different avenues and the problem was not Him, but me. The reason I could not hear God’s voice is because I wasn’t listening. Usually my prayer time would consist of a long laundry list of personal requests. I would pour out my heart to God and then walk away without waiting and watching for His answer. The next day I’d come to Him with the same old list, and maybe a few more requests. Over many years, I learned that prayer was much more than just pleading to God on my behalf as well as others’ behalf. Yes, I should make my supplication known to God, yet I failed to do the most important thing of all—expectantly anticipate His answer. I have also learned that things don’t change when I talk to God; things change when God talks to me!

So how does God talk to us? I believe God can and does talk to us in many different ways. He talks directly to our hearts through the Holy Spirit in our prayer time, through circumstances, in worship, through other Christians, and most importantly through His Word. How God chooses to speak to me may be different than how God chooses to speak to you. Who are we to put God “in a box”? He can manifest Himself to us in any way that He so desires—in a vision or a dream, through the innocent voice of a child, or maybe even through a Christian song played on the radio at just the right time. The question is not Can God Speak to Us but Are You Willing to Listen to Him?

You might be wondering how you can hear that which is not audible, or see that which is not visible, or even sense that which is not tangible? First, we must recognize that we will not be able to clearly hear God’s beautiful voice in the busyness, noisiness, and frenzied activities of our day. We must set aside some time to be alone with Him, to sit at His feet and bask in His presence. God longs to speak to His children, but He will not compete for our time. Secondly, we must come to Him with a clean heart. Don’t expect to hear from God if you are harboring bitterness and unforgiveness in your heart. You must confess and turn away from your sins. Remember, you are entering hallowed ground. God is a holy God and our sinfulness grieves the Holy Spirit who dwells within us. Create in me a pure heart O God and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit to sustain me.

Next, anticipate hearing God’s voice. After times of prayer, worship, and the reading/studying of God’s Word, sit quietly, expectantly waiting for God to speak to your heart. Don’t just say your Amen’s, close your Bible, and run off to the next task on your To Do List. Linger a little while longer and sit quietly with your eyes closed and ask God to speak to you. “Speak Lord, for your servant is listening.”

Most importantly, be purposeful in your listening. Practice active listening, not passive listening. Really open your ears and allow His words to digest the truth in your heart. I’ve heard it said that maybe God gave us two ears and one mouth because He wants us to spend twice as much time listening. Just remember that this type of listening requires participation from you. You must engage all of yourself—your mind, your body, and your actions. Invite the Holy Spirit to speak to you and fully concentrate on Him. What is He saying to you? Is there an example for you to follow? A sin to turn away from?

Above all, when God does speak, be obedient. Remember that Christianity is proactive, not passive. If we seek to draw closer to God, to learn, grow and mature in our faith, we must be "doers" of the Word. Luke 8:18 says to “Be sure to pay attention to what you hear. To those who are open to my teaching, more understanding will be given. But to those who are not listening, even what they think they have will be taken away from them.”

Remember, there is no magic formula for hearing God’s voice. Come to Him with a clean heart, anticipate hearing from Him, and allow yourself time to attentively listen for His soft, still voice. If you are one of his sheep, you will hear Him. Watch your relationship with Him flourish as you no longer will be the one doing all the talking. You’ll learn to decipher His voice from your own and you’ll sense His leading and direction. Above all, God promises you will be blessed in all you do.

The one who looks intently at the perfect law, the law of liberty, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but an effectual doer, he shall be blessed in what he does. James 1:25

Everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man. Matthew 7:24

My sheep hear my voice. I know them and they follow me. John 10:27

Silence is Golden

It’s the New Year and I have a question for you. Have you taken the time to sit quietly by yourself to reflect on the upcoming year and possibly set some new goals? Or maybe just to reflect on some things you’d like to change about yourself, some places you’d like to visit? Now, I’m not talking about making New Year’s Resolutions. You know, the high goals and aspirations that only set you up for failure. I’m talking about just sitting quietly by yourself and God to think about the new year that has just been ushered in.

There is something to be said about just being silent. No noise. Period. No TV, no radio, no other voices. Silence helps us to reconnect with God and ourselves in a way that nothing else can. Yet often we tend to avoid silence in our lives. I, too, am guilty of turning on the radio, even Christian radio, to fill the quiet moments in my day.

Silence is golden because it is in the quiet moments when we can really listen to our hearts. We can hear our deepest desires and longings. We can hear the Holy Spirit speak to our conscience about different matters that concern us. And yes, we can hear our heart’s true condition—even if it is not as pure and lovely as we thought. Often silence reveals sin in our lives that needs to be confessed. Yes, God speaks to us in the silent places, not in the clamor of noisiness. I believe that is why he says in Psalm 46:10, “Be still and know that I am God.” Could it be that we are avoiding silence because we are afraid of what He may reveal to us? Or could it be that we feel lazy if we are not always “doing” something? Or maybe we are trying to fill a void and using noise to cover it up.

Each one of us needs to take time to recharge our batteries. We can do this by simply finding a place where we can retreat and be still. It is our own “secret garden,” our place of quiet and solace. Our personal little retreat. We need to frequent this place of solitude often. This is where we can commune with God and allow Him to purge the unnecessary weight and burdens we often carry around. This is where He convicts us, fills us with hope, and gives us His power to start anew. This is the place where He helps us put things into proper perspective and teaches us to focus on matters that have eternal significance. Sometimes, we may be still and find ourselves not thinking of anything at all, and that may be just what we need. To stare idly out a window to watch the squirrels and birds and just savor the beauty of nature all around us that often goes unnoticed.

This year why not give yourself a special gift? A gift of quiet time all to yourself. I know it will satisfy much longer and better than any reality TV shows, shopping sprees, or idle phone conversations. You owe this to yourself and your God who continually beckons you to come away with Him to a quiet place of rest. Make some room in your life for silence and really listen to your heart. You may just be amazed at what you hear!

“Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.” Mark 6:31

"In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength." Isaiah 30:15