Psalms 1:2-4 March 1, 2008

Instead you thrill to God’s Word, you chew on Scripture day and night. You’re a tree replanted in Eden, bearing fresh fruit every month, Never dropping a leaf, always in blossom.

(Pslams 1:2-4-The Message)

I was reading this morning Psalms 1:2-4 and the imagery of this verse jumped out at me. I am to be a tree, firmly rooted in the soil of God’s Word. The streams might rush around me, and the wind might shake my branches but if I am firm in Christ I will never drop a leaf and bear fresh fruit- always in blossom.

Of course, even the word blossom puts the image of a cherry blossom in my head and to me it is such a thing of beauty that it humbles me to think that only God can produce such beauty in my life. Apart from Him, I am nothing. I can not fabricate fruit or beautiful blossoms. This reminds me of the verse John 15:5 where it talks about abiding in Christ to bear much fruit.

I am going to be working on a piece of art that represents this for me but until it is finished I wanted to share this picture of a “tree woman” with you. Being a visual person, it is comforting for me to picture myself as a tree rooted in Christ and exciting to picture the fruit that bursts forth as a result of that soil!

The Fruit of the Spirit: Love February 18, 2008

I am going through the book, Naked Fruit by Elisa Morgan for the second time. This morning I was reading about love and I thought it would make an appropriate post since, for many, the stardust from Valentine’s day still hangs in the air. In Naked Fruit, Elisa likened love to the fruit of grapes,

“The quality of a grape is directly related to its host vine. Grapes abide in their vine. Detached from their source, they wither. Grapes offer an example of commitment through the easy and hard times of life. In fact, vine growers report that the sweetest grapes come from the most stressed vines.”

I would never have thought that I would have a problem loving people. I was the child who would cry for the cartoons that got anvils dropped on them, and who made friends with all the underdogs in school. As a women, I figured the love of a husband or child would come naturally and I would say in most situations, it does. There are times; however, when circumstances and people and my own selfishness make it very hard to love. When I am tired, I notice my ability to express love is lessened. I am quicker to temper, or snap out a phrase that should come lovingly from my lips. And when my husband displays a pet peeve of mine for the umpteenth time, all loving thoughts for him can flee. Or when my sweet daughter cries out in the night, the selfishness of my tiredness can keep me firmly lying in my bed.

It is in these tough times that I will often grit my teeth and set myself resolutely on loving them. Unfortunately, my effort is apparent and does not come across as loving or unconditional.

This is where Elisa really challenges me, “Think how you might be ‘working up your own love’ for this person rather than allowing Jesus to love them through you. What does such effort produce in you? Or as Dr. Phil says, ‘How’s that working for you?’ How can you shift the source of your love from yourself to God by letting Jesus love that person through you?”

An interesting thought. How often to I bow my head in prayer and ask God to love through me? When I am catching up with a friend do I ask Jesus, “what does she need to hear to feel loved by You?”

This week I am going to be working on letting Christ love through me. I hope that you will join me as well.

Afterall, “all you need is love. Do Do Do Do Do, all you need is love:P”