“…Blessed is the man who trusts me, God, the woman who sticks with God. They’re like trees replanted in Eden, putting down roots near the rivers— Never a worry through the hottest of summers, never dropping a leaf, serene and calm through droughts, bearing fresh fruit every season.” (Jeremiah 17:7-8 MSG)
Fresh Fruit : A Summer Devotional
Main Scriptures: Jeremiah 17:7-8, Psalm 1:1-3
Study deeper: John 15:1-5, Galatians 5:22-23, Galatians 6:8, Psalm 92:13-14, Isaiah 58:11, Matthew 7:15-20
One of the sweetest memories from my childhood is spending time with my grandparents in their garden in Fort Wayne, Indiana. My family would pack up in our white, 90's Jimmy SUV and drive a few short hours to see them quite frequently when we lived in the same state. Once we arrived, we were greeted with big hugs, warm smiles and pats on the back. My brother and I always loved how my grandfather would ask us, "How ya doing, kid?"
I can vividly remember my grandfather walking me and my brother through the pristinely-kept garden and 1/2 acre yard lined with fruit trees. He’d point out his new vegetables that were growing and my grandmother showed us her grapevine and blackberries. Having lived in the city, we always found it fascinating to see living fruits and vegetables.
As much as I enjoyed the wonder of beholding the beautiful garden, nothing compared to the flavorful delight of experiencing the fruits and vegetables firsthand. Picking juicy blackberries fresh from the bush. The taste of my grandmother's fresh sautéed zucchini with thinly sliced onions. Her warm zucchini bread and blackberry pie from the oven. (Are you getting hungry now the way that I am?) Oh, how I cherished her sending me several fresh zucchini from her garden when I was a newlywed in our first apartment, still figuring out what to cook for dinner each night!
Although that season has now passed, the seeds still remain. While I haven’t developed a green thumb just yet, I recognize that life itself is like a garden where fresh fruits of the Spirit are harvested as we remain rooted in our relationship with God.
The beautiful imagery in Jeremiah 17 and Psalm 1 paint a picture that teaches us how to bear fresh fruit that remains through life’s seasons. While we can’t control the seasons of our lives, we can determine the soil of our hearts and the source of our strength. You may be in a season that feels like a hot, scorching summer or maybe a dry season of drought. Let your roots go deeper than the season at the surface. Know that God provides the water and sunlight you need to grow. As we choose to trust God in every season, we deepen our roots to withstand the seasons of change and can expect a harvest of fresh fruit in our lives that will benefit others. As we know, a tree doesn’t eat its own fruit.
My sister in law began growing a garden at her home in Texas. Inspired by her mom’s bountiful harvest from gardening over decades in California, she sees the potential of what can be produced over time. During a recent visit to Tulsa, she came with me to Coffee Connect women’s group and shared a beautiful thought that I want to leave you with today:
Fruit contains the potential of a lifelong harvest.
Within each seed is the power and potential to harvest fresh fruit in season every year. The same is true in our lives with spiritual fruit! As we commit to being planted in God’s house and develop deep roots through community and serving, there is a promise for ongoing harvest through the years of our lives.
“Those who are planted in the house of the Lord Shall flourish in the courts of our God. They shall still bear fruit in old age; They shall be fresh and flourishing,” (Psalms 92:13-14 NKJV)
Journal Prompts for Personal Application:
How can I develop deeper roots where God has planted me in this season?
Take a moment to look over your life and identify your fruit. What seeds were planted that are now bearing fruit?
What seeds need to be planted now in order to harvest fresh fruit in my life that will bless others?
The Bible says in Matthew 7:16 that you will know them by their fruits. What fruits do you want to be known by?
Prayer:
Heavenly Father, thank you for being my source of refreshing and fruitfulness. I choose to trust you in every season even when I don’t understand. I pray that the soil of my heart is good soil to receive your Word and bear fresh fruits of the Spirit. I ask that you reveal to me anything that needs to be uprooted so that my heart can remain pure before you. Show me how to deepens the roots where you’ve planted me and not resist commitment to community. I love you and invite you into my life afresh.
In Jesus Name I pray,
Amen.
Emonne Markland