Dear Lord, We had a great weekend with lots going on. Friday night we had a game and then the Black's came over for a while. Alisha made home-made macaroni and cheese, the girl can cook!! Always fun. Then Saturday we had 2 of Tucker's games - hot, hot, hot!! Miserable for my girls, and for me as well. No playgrounds at the second game. It was hot and I was irritable to say the least... phewwwwww, glad it is over! Sunday was a good day too. I hate not getting to see the person you are celebrating on the day you celebrate, but I did get to talk to my dad and wrote him a blog - yesterday's. He said I was stretching the truth - see, he is so humble! Kids went swimming yesterday and that was very refreshing. Maybe some day I will have a pool. I don't know! Of course Andrea and I did our running last night. We were moving - but yet, we didn't get anywhere. It was quite funny!!! 3.4 miles to add to the log.
Today is busy, this whole week is. In the midst of basketball camp in Carmi, the girls have swim lessons in Fairfield. Then in the middle of the week I go to Charlotte to speak on Wednesday night, but am back home by Thursday morning! Holy cow, that is busy!!! I like it. I have one million emails to return and please forgive me if you are one that needs an answer. You are welcome to call my cell. You have that if you have emailed me...
Today, Lord, you gave me some confusing scripture that I am hoping you will help me understand as i type. You have an amazing way of doing that often! Matt. 21:18-22. This the the time Jesus saw a tree not bearing fruit, had leaves, but no fruit and caused it to wither up. OK - I have a lot of questions. This tree was alive, had leaves, but was just not bearing fruit. I understand that Jesus tells us we will be known by our fruit - we are to bear much fruit in John 15. For us, i believe that is a statement for continual fruit bearing - we don't get a break to rest and bear no fruit. But for a tree they go through seasons. Fruit is not always a natural occurrence. So was this tree not bearing fruit and it was the season for fruit? Is the climate over there such that trees bear fruit all the time? Or was there just the purpose of showing the disciples they can do amazing things when they believe. I am not completely sure.
I think it is interesting and can not be ignored that Jesus noted through the scriptures that the tree was alive with leaves, but no fruit. What does that say to me or about me. To sit around with life, potential, possibly growth, green nutrients, but not bearing fruit is not good - to say the least. God did not put us on this earth to be consumed with all that is good or even to consume all that is good and not doing anything with it. We consume, and consume, and consume, but never bear fruit - we got a problem. Jesus noticed there was life, but no purpose. He saw the potential, but no application. He saw that the tree had taken in great nutrients to grow beautiful leaves, but not given it away. How many people do we know or get in the rut ourselves of taking, taking, taking from the church, preachin, sermons, Bible studies, and even quiet time and never doing anything with it!!! We never bear fruit. I know it doesn't please the Lord or bring Him glory to be a back row baptist, but it sounds like to me in this scripture He won't stand for it. WE will wither!
Oh Lord, I am not sure I have interpreted this scripture correctly. I need to get another commentary out that truly understand You Word. Give me the time and desire to study further into this. I don't want to be one that does nothing with the potential you have given me. I want to do so much for you and be used! Lord, teach me to use what I have been given and bear fruit. Help me to not always look for something better! Help me to prioritize my day so that I am getting the things done that I am suppose to! I love you, Lord. Off running! 
7 comments:
Leigh,
Would growing in your faith and learning sound Biblical issues be producing faith? What are your thoughts?
vickie
I have heard that because of the way the tree looked, it should have had fruit...so it was sort of giving false evidence that it bore fruit and there was nothing. Does that make sense?
Love and prayers,
holly
Growing in your faith and learning what the Bible says about things would be the stimulus in producing fruit. We learn more and more about Him understanding in our human ways how much He has done for us and with us!
Therefore it would just make you want to do things that express the knowledge of joy in understanding His sacrifice.
Remember in James it says that works without faith is dead. and faith without works is dead too. James Chapter 2. then verse 24 says, " a person is justified by what he does and not by faith alone." We learn and grow so that we can DO something and display the fruit of Spirit (different than fruit) in that action... making any sense.
SO yes, growing in your faith is part of producing fruit as long as you don't just sit and soak and do nothing with all the knowledge.
I guess those are my thoughts - not worth too much!
Leigh,
I think you are right on when you stated that we are alive but by not being obedient to God's call in our lives we do not have anything to "show" for it.
When we are obedient we bear fruit not only through the abundance of the Holy Spirit's evidence in our lives but through our desire to do whatever God wants.
I was the tree without fruit for years (ok decades) and now that I have stepped out in faith (believing God) I am so excited about telling everyone about God and having them grow their relationship as well :)
GLORY!!
Kim
I think too... my thoughts anyway.. for whatever they are worth...
anything we do OUTSIDE the will of our Abba... is nonfruit bearing.
we can bake apple pies all day long for the church but if we aren't listening to our Papa and at the end of the day wonder why we are so tired?? and why we aren't producing more apples for our apple pie?? Maybe we are not hearing that still small voice saying... I really wanted you to make peach cobbler....SMILE...
just a thought..
blessings....
Hello Leigh!
I found your blog through Rachelle's site (where I am also a lurker, never having commented).
I had some thoughts about the passage you mentioned a while ago. I thought it was interesting that it was a fig tree, when the bible mentions in genesis that Adam and Eve covered themselves with fig leaves. So to me it had something to do with putting on a mask of being something you aren't, or of relying on the arm of the flesh to cover your weakness instead of being letting Jesus cover us by his grace. Does that make sense?
In contrast, almond trees are called something like 'hasty/alert/awake' in the hebrew because they are the first trees to start blossoming in the late winter, their blossoms appear before they even have any leaves yet. The almond tree stands unadorned, yet in the winter when everything seems barren and unfruitful it blossoms with the promise of fruit! Isn't it interesting that Aaron's rod lay in the presence of God, just a dry old stick, yet God caused it to sprout and blossom...with almonds?
I think that's how Jesus wants us to come to him. Unadorned, in our barrenness and fruitlessness yet ready and alert like the almond tree, waiting for him to cause us to bud and sprout.
SUmi - that is brillant!!! Thank you for leaving that comment and explanation of what God has spoken to you!! It makes great sense!!
Thank you and please leave more comments!! You are inspired!!
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