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A Harvest of Fruit
By Susanne Scheppmann
Key Verse:
“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 NIV).
Devotion:
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
harvesting the fruit of the Spirit this autumn?
Prayer:
Dear Lord, teach me to walk in Your Spirit. I want
to harvest all the aspects of Your Spirit. Infuse me with Your 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.
Application
steps:
Place a cornucopia on your kitchen table during this
harvest season as a reminder to yourself to pursue the fruit of the Holy
Spirit. Allow yourself to overflow with love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness,
faithfulness, gentleness and, of course, self-control. Make a mental note to
keep in step with the Spirit throughout your day.
Reflections:
Which
traits of the fruit of the Spirit do I need the most?
Am
I willing to pay the cost to obtain a harvest of righteousness?
In
what circumstances do I need to call on the Holy Spirit as my Helper?
Power
verses:
Galatians
5:25, “Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.”
(NIV)
John
16:7, “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.” (NASB)
Ephesians
5:8-10, “For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as
children of light (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness
and truth) and find out what pleases the Lord.” (NIV)
© 2008 by Susanne Scheppmann. All rights reserved.
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