Dear Ones, Happy weekend to you! Hope you have time to relax and get refreshed. I plan to make Swedish meatballs and do other food prep. Your question this week is, Do you feel you are growing in your life with the Lord? Is it your desire to mature and be fruitful or do you feel like you are stagnant? What things seem to hold you back?
Devotions from Judy’s heart
Every morning as I have my quiet time with the Lord and write a daily devotion, I look out my window and see growth on the tree before me. What struck me one day was that I am like that tree, and my hope is that I am growing daily and not being stagnant in my Christian life. Not long ago, I noticed the branches on the bare tree started budding, and though it was barely perceptible at first, gradually I saw a little green begin to show. It wasn’t much, but definitely changing and I had hopes of what it would look like when it fully blooms.

When we are new Christians, we are grafted into the Vine which is Jesus and we become a new person. We begin to sprout, and are meant to mature and bear fruit. It doesn’t happen overnight, but gradually we receive the sunshine and rain, and changes start taking place. People around us may notice that our reactions are not the same as those of the old person we were. Then blossoms appear, and our family may notice we are caring and willing to serve others and not quick to get upset. More growth takes place, and the tree starts filling out and looking lush. This tree flowers with big white puffy flowers on the branches, that to me looks like a bridal bouquet. People walking by oh and ahh over its beauty. We might feel we are in the limelight with our new faith, but that phase doesn’t last forever. We come to realize that all glory goes to the Lord. Soon we are willing to decrease that He may increase. That is not always easy but the more we come to love the Lord, the more we realize it is not about us, but is all about Him.

The white flowery puffs give way to green leaves that blend together, appearing as one and providing shade for all who live here. It is a lesson to me as I see the phases of the tree before me, that I want to be continually growing in the Lord, welcoming new believers and blending into the Body of Christ, that we may become one beautiful tree that welcomes others to rest in its shade. Jesus said in John 15:5, “I am the Vine, you are the branches. When you’re joined with me and I with you, the relation intimate and organic, the harvest is sure to be abundant. Separated, you can’t produce a thing.”

Challenge for today: Live each day in close relationship to the Lord, and let Him produce fruit through you.
Blessings on your weekend and prayers and love, Judys