BEARING FRUIT

Genesis 1:10-12 (NIV)
10 God called the dry ground "land," and the gathered waters he called "seas." And God saw that it was good.
11 Then God said, "Let the land produce vegetation: seed-bearing plants and trees on the land that bear fruit with seed in it, according to their various kinds." And it was so. 12 The land produced vegetation: plants bearing seed according to their kinds and trees bearing fruit with seed in it according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good.


2 Kings 19:29-31 (NIV)
29 "This will be the sign for you, O Hezekiah: "This year you will eat what grows by itself,
and the second year what springs from that.
But in the third year sow and reap,
plant vineyards and eat their fruit.
30 Once more a remnant of the house of Judah will take root below and bear fruit above.
31 For out of Jerusalem will come a remnant, and out of Mount Zion a band of survivors.
The zeal of the LORD Almighty will accomplish this. [God even gets excited about it!]


Psalm 92:12-15 (NIV)
12 The righteous will flourish like a palm tree,
they will grow like a cedar of Lebanon;
13 planted in the house of the LORD,
they will flourish in the courts of our God.
14 They will still bear fruit in old age, [my age ;-)]
they will stay fresh and green,
15 proclaiming, "The LORD is upright;
He is my Rock, and there is no wickedness in Him."

• sow and reap
• plant and eat
• take root and bear fruit [hey - they rhyme!]
• flourish like a palm
• grow like a cedar
• stay fresh and green [til death]

Seedtime and Harvest: God's plan woven through the entire Bible. Every aspect of the Christian walk is based on that connected theme.
Just like an apple tree bears apple fruit - it's who that tree is. It's the make-up of the tree that produces the fruit it bears. If we are connected to Christ [the Vine] - then bearing fruit should be who we are - not what we do!

Can you share one thing that God has taught you about a [fruit] seed you've planted - and how it is now who you are?

What harvest has come from the seeds God has planted within you over the last year? Did they flourish, grow, stay fresh and green?

Matthew 7:16-18
16 By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? 17 Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit.

Looking UPward and Choosing JOY,
Stephanie
[Time to FLY]

Beth over at An Instrument 4 His Glory gave me this award today. Thank you, Beth, for honoring of me for this one. The Lord told me on the day my husband went home to glory - to "Make JESUS Shine". So this is precious to me. I'm probably breaking some kind of rule or something but I wish to present this to only one person and to let the beautiful icon speak for itself. I would like to present this award to: Elaine over at Click here: peace for the journey