Fruit

When Restlessness Produces New Fruit

/ Jana

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On a regular basis I like to shake things up. No. It’s better said that I have to shake it up. If things get too static for too long I get a little crazy. Ask my mom. And my husband. Well, and my co-workers. My restlessness has prompted many a furniture rearrangement, get out of dodge adventures, and half-baked ministry projects.  What I love about this process is the daring, new experiments that are launched. Full disclosure, some of them crash and burn. Some of them fly high for a season. Some of them resemble oak trees that just continue to grow deep in roots and broad in reach.

Another truth to disclose, I never know what result they will be until they have left my hand. The artist’s plight, I guess.  But the Lord reminded me about a verse the other day. “The good tree produces good fruit.” (Matthew 7:17) I read this again and let out a deep, long sigh. Ah. There it is. Pressure is off.

It doesn’t say that every single branch will produce a perfect blossom that will produce a perfect fruit. Rather it says the good tree will produce good fruit. Overall, in an ongoing way, the natural behavior  of a good and healthy tree is it sprouts, blossoms and yields fruit from different branches at different times. It is the tree’s lifetime destiny. And the outcome of the fruit is not necessarily the point either. Some of that fruit falls to the ground and rots. Some feeds squirrels and us. Some fruit is replanted in far away places as the birds carry it away. But the tree, the good tree, firmly planted, just keeps producing fruit.

Before you ask… in God, we are good trees. One thing I have learned the hard way is God is Less interested in my 100% perfect outcomes and More interested in my 100% surrender. My “yes!” answer to Him really, really matters. It really impacts His heart. Your “yes” has the same affect. So today, just give Him a fresh “yes” and let Him pour His good, good love through you.

Here are a couple of the outpourings He and I have been playing with. Feel free to partake of new fruit!

A new podcast called Listen and See  and A Greater Things Christmas Eve

Godly Wisdom!

/ Jana / Leave a comment

Hey – I love how God connects the dots! Remember the other day when I talked about grieving for couples and people who need not more ammunition but Godly Wisdom?

Check this out:

17But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. 18Peacemakers who sow in peace raise a harvest of righteousness. James 3:17-18

I think this is a chapter of a book because you could break down each one of these characteristics and watch God download a a billion gig of information. Why don’t you do this in the meantime? 

Ask God to show you where you are, where you are stuck.  Are  your motives pure? Are you peace loving or demanding for self? Are you considering the needs of the other person? Are you going low or arrogant? Are you pouring out the same mercy you yourself have been given by God?

Check your fruit and your heart. All you have to do is look at your harvest to see what the reality is.  See when you sow in peace, you raise a harvest of Rightness with God and with others.  If things are not  right in your relationship with Him and others, then check your seed, your fruit. 

His wisdom that comes from heaven is all these things and more.  God is always working for our good. But guess what? He is also working for the good of the other person at the same time.

Seek His face and His ways. Seek to sow in peace so that you will raise a harvest of His way of doing life. 

“Bless You, Lord, that in all our stuck places You do not leave us to sort it out on our own. You truly give wisdom from heaven on our behalf.  Thank You, Lord, that You alone give us the desire and power to be peacemakers. Make peace in us, Lord, so that we have seed to sow. Amen”