Spiritual Fruit
When the Holy Spirit controls our lives, he will produce this kind of fruit in us: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Galatians 5:22-23
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Suppose you wanted to start an apple orchard. In early spring you carefully cut dozens of twigs from an apple tree and stick them in the ground twenty feet apart. You water and fertilize and watch and wait. But in the fall, you have no apples to pick. Why? Because those twigs could not mature and bear fruit once they were not rooted in the tree they came from. The same is true with spiritual fruit. It is only when we belong to Christ and stay close to him that his Spirit lives in us and produces the virtues, or “fruit,” listed in today’s verse.
Self-effort won’t produce this fruit. Good intentions won’t produce love, joy, peace, patience, or kindness. Instead, as we yield ourselves to Christ, his Spirit lives and moves freely through us and touches others through our lives. We express his gentleness as we respond to children, his great patience as we encounter difficult people. We demonstrate his faithfulness as we keep commitments, and we share his goodness and kindness as we bless others.
Prayers:
LORD, teach me to yield to the control of the Holy Spirit. How I realize that none of the virtues reside within my flesh. But this understanding is a gift from you that enables me to humble myself before you and rely wholly on your Spirit rising up within me. Do so, Lord, and may the fruit you produce draw others to you!
Quotes:
I HAVE A GLOVE HERE IN MY HAND. THE GLOVE CANNOT DO ANYTHING BY ITSELF, BUT WHEN MY HAND IS IN IT, IT CAN DO MANY THINGS. TRUE, IT IS NOT THE GLOVE, BUT MY HAND IN THE GLOVE THAT ACTS. WE ARE GLOVES. IT IS THE HOLY SPIRIT IN US WHO IS THE HAND, WHO DOES THE JOB. WE HAVE TO MAKE ROOM FOR THE HAND SO THAT EVERY FINGER IS FILLED.
Corrie ten Boom (1892–1983)
The One Year Bible Readings for today are: Isaiah 33:10–36:22; Galatians 5:13-26; Psalm 64:1-10 and Proverbs 23:23.
