A
few months ago Albert started playing this new weird game involving cartoon
zombies that try to get into your house to eat your brains (which you never
see) and the cute weaponized plants you use to defend your home. One person in our family after another began
to play… I was the last hold out. What
really attracted me was how cute the plants were and after playing a while I
was given (virtual) plants for a Zen garden.
There I water and play music/ fertilize/ or bug spray the plants to make
them happy, and in return, they produce coins to reward me so I can buy stuff.
This
morning I opened up the garden and fed Stinky the snail some chocolate to work
faster and stay awake to pick up the coins that would pop out, and I set about
making the plants happy, then I walked away to get prepared for the day. After about an hour, I looked and saw two of
my plants weren’t giving any coins because they weren’t happy, and determined
it was because they weren’t planted in the correct garden. They needed to be in the night plants garden.
I
moved them over and was finally able to make them happy so they could produce
lots of coins for me, and I got thinking how much that is like us in life. When we are in the wrong place (out of God’s
will) then joy does not abide in us and we don’t produce fruit like we should.
…In this My Father is glorified, that you bear much
fruit, so you shall be My disciples. …I have chosen you and ordained you that
you should go and bring forth fruit, and that
your fruit should remain… (Jh. 15:7,8,16)
So we are
ordained by the Father to produce fruit that remains (does not depart):
love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faith, meekness,
self-control; (Gl. 5:22,23) This is how we will be known, by our
continuous good fruit.
You shall know them by their fruits… every good tree
brings forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree brings forth evil fruit. A good
tree cannot bring forth evil fruits, nor can
a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. Every tree that does not bring forth
good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Therefore by their fruits you
shall know them. Mt. 7:16-20
If we want to
produce good fruit (and not be thrown into the fire) we must be planted where the Lord wants us to be, doing what He
wants us to do. This is abiding in
Him. As we abide in Jesus (the main
vine), His roots bring a supply of life into us, the branches. Also, in order to keep us healthy, the Father
regularly prunes the branches to
produce better fruit. Pruning isn’t
pleasant, but the results are!
I am the True Vine, and My Father is the Vinedresser.
Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away. And every one that
bears fruit, He prunes it so that it may bring forth more fruit.
Now you are clean through the Word which I have
spoken to you. Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of
itself unless it remains in the vine, so neither can
you unless you abide in Me.
I am the Vine, you are
the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, the same brings forth much
fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. Jh. 15:1-5
Just like my
Zen garden plants couldn’t grow and produce in the wrong garden, so we can’t
grow properly and produce abundant good fruit if we are not abiding in the
Lord. Let us seek Him out and His will
for our lives, one step, one day at a time- in Him, through Him and with Him.
Lord, help us to know Your will, hear Your voice and abide
/ remain in You...
...for we can do nothing without You!!!