I’m slowly starting to see a tomato 🍅 harvest, even though weather conditions this spring, “Cold temps, hail, too much rain,” challenged the potential for any real growth or fruit to form.

Each day there are the signs now of the sweet rewards of healthy fruit to pick in this summer season because of tending to the soil and enduring sudden ” Unexpected Changes” in Spring weather patterns.

As I was rinsing off one of the tomatoes I picked and was preparing to cut it today, the thought came to me quickly that just as a tomato is a very healthy fruit to eat, it takes tending to for good results.

It’s the same thing when as a person stays closely connected to Jesus, when there are rough seasonal adjustments in life, (Often unexpected) he/ she will outwardly display much fruit in their life.

John 15:5 says it’s so clearly!

“I am the vine, and you are the branches.  If you stay joined to me, then I stay joined to you, and then you will produce lots of fruit.  But you can’t bear lasting fruit or do anything without Me.

Paul taught us – The Fruit of The Spirit is:

Love,
Joy,
Peace,
Patience,
Kindness,
Goodness,
Faithfulness,
Gentleness,
Self-control.   (Galatians 5:22-23).

As I pondered these verses in my heart while washing my start of the harvest of tomatoes, the thought came into my mind that Jesus IS the path to perfect fruit.

The more we stay connected to Him and partake of Him, shutting off, (pruning) the noise, phones, technology, excuses, the more fruitful our life will be… and it probably will be healthier relationally, emotionally and behaviorally.

We are gentle, kind, not snappish and prickly.  Like trying to hug a porcupine!

When our lives are rooted like plants in deep soil and are intentionally weeded daily and tended to in and by Jesus, then we will bear these kinds of fruit.

They can’t be faked!  Who likes plastic fruit!  One thing for sure “fake fruit” is without flavor!  That’s what the Bible says!

Any physician will tell you that a life that exhibits the fruit of the spirit mentioned in Galatians is likely to be healthier than a life absent of such fruits.

How are you nourishing your spirit so that your life will exhibit the kind of fruit that Paul mentions in Galatians?

Are you remaining close to Jesus the Vine?  It will be evident to all by the fruit that you display and how you treat others.

Prayer to ask The LORD to help you be fruitful:

Heavenly Father, You are the Gardener, Jesus is the true Vine and I am a simple branch that seeks to abide in my Savior.

I pray that as I grow in trust in Him day by day, so that Your Holy Spirit may carry out a good work in me — so that I may bear much fruit to Your honor and glory.

May I abide daily in Christ and remain in Him and He in me.. so that the Holy Spirit may work unhindered inside of my soul doing the necessary transforming work so that I may bring forth acceptable fruit at the proper time.

May I be willing to learn the lessons of life that You would teach me and be ready to accept that Your pruning knife and correction is the way to perfect who I am in Christ – and make me more like Him.

I pray that I may be a fruitful branch that bears much good fruit to Your praise and glory.
In Jesus name,
Amen