Happy December 1st Family of Faith!!
[Taken from Come With Me Devotional book by Suzanne Eller, #124 “Another Chance”]
Scripture
Luke 13:6-9
The Parable of the Barren Fig Tree
6 And he told this parable: “A man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came seeking fruit on it and found none. 7 And he said to the vinedresser, ‘Look, for three years now I have come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and I find none. Cut it down. Why should it use up the ground?’ 8 And he answered him, ‘Sir, let it alone this year also, until I dig around it and put on manure. 9 Then if it should bear fruit next year, well and good; but if not, you can cut it down.’”
Grapevines curl and climb high in the vineyard, but one fails to thrive. The owner demands it be cut down, but the gardener intervenes.
There is hope for this vine.
The gardener sees its potential. Life is there, just waiting to sprout. It needs one more chance. One more year. One more fertilization. One more pruning season. While others may not see the growth waiting to explode inside of us, God does. Rather than compare us with others, He sees our potential.
He’ll prune us. He’ll water. He already envisions the fruit of love, joy, peace, gentleness, patience, faithfulness, goodness, and self-control developing in our lives. When others want to give up on us, He s ready to see how tall we will grow. Let’s give ourselves, and others, another chance to become the fruitful vine we are destined to become.
Questions to Consider:
What obstructions do you have in your life that keep you from growing good fruit?
Where do you need to be “pruned” (less tv, less digital devices, less social media, etc.) in order to give your full attention to the blessings in your life?
Reflect:
While others desire to cut you down, Jesus draws you closer to the Vine.
Commit to reading God’s word more this week to help your faith grow and be “fertilized”!
Prayer:
Father God, during this season help us to remove those barriers in our hearts that impede our acknowledgement and acceptance of your boundless grace and mercy, so that through the Holy Spirit we may bear fruit that brings all honor and glory to you; in Christ’s name I pray, Amen.