"A Harvest of Fruit"
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.” (Galatians 5:22-23)
Autumn harvests laden our table with fresh fruits and vegetables. We decorate our homes with the cornucopia, also known as the “Horn of Plenty,” a hollow, horn-shaped wicker basket. Apples, oranges, bright gourds, and multi-colored Indian corn spill from the basket as reminders of the abundance of God’s blessings in our lives.
The apostle Paul speaks of another kind of fruit—the fruit of the Spirit. He writes, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law (Galatians 5:22-23).” Against such there is no law. We do not need to worry about over indulging this type of fruit. God desires us to be so full that we absolutely overflow with His Spirit.
However, in order to obtain the fruit of Spirit we must harvest it in our lives. Galatians 5:25 gives us a tip on how to begin to reap this crop, “Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.” As a farmer labors to produce his crop, so we must work hard, too. When we allow the Holy Spirit to fill our lives, we react in a godly manner when people annoy us and circumstances move beyond our control. We must determine to keep in step with the Holy Spirit rather than allow our human nature to overtake us. Think about the following circumstances in which we could allow the Spirit to take control of our attitudes and emotions.
- A fight with our husband
- Parenting teens
- Neighbors who annoy us
- An unappreciative boss
- A fender-bender in a parking lot
- The dishwasher overflows
- An uncaring doctor
What would you add to the list? Whatever creates irritability, impatience, or discontent could be added to the list. Of course, the key to any type of adversity is to remember the words of Jesus, “But I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper shall not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you.” (John 16:7 NASB).” The Helper is the Holy Spirit. He will help us produce the fruit of righteousness if we allow it. With the Spirit’s help we can obtain an overflowing abundance of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and of course, self-control.
Will you join me in a harvest of the fruit of the Spirit this autumn?
Whispers from the Heart:
Dear Lord, teach me to walk in Your Spirit. I want to harvest all the aspects of Your Spirit. Infuse in me love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. When I find myself in adverse circumstances, remind me to keep in step with Your Spirit. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
© 2007 By Susanne Scheppmann. All rights reserved. To Comment on this devotional, please contact us. |
