[whitecane] Wednesday Devotional: THE DEAD PLANTS

From: "John Sherrer" <john@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: <whitecane@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Wed, 23 Oct 2013 19:32:21 -0400

Dear Readers;

I'm sending you a short little devotional with a big message. We all should
check our fruit every now and then. Be Blessed today! SandyC

THE DEAD PLANTS

Early in the morning, as Jesus was on His way back to the city, He was hungry.
Seeing a fig tree by the road, He went up to it but found nothing on it except
leaves. Then He said to it, “May you never bear fruit again!” Immediately the
tree withered. Matthew 21:18-19

Our garden hasn’t done very well this year due to too much rain. That is
certainly unusual because we normally fight off draught with hose pipes and
sprinklers. Twice the rains have been so heavy that the tomato plants were left
standing in water. I went out a couple of days after the second rain to try to
pick the vegetables and sunk up over the ankles of my boots. It was like
sinking in quicksand out there!

We weren’t surprised after the first rain that some of the tomato plants
withered up and died. After the second rain I saw that the other plants were
not going to make it either. The difference is that these plants had already
matured. Their branches were full of green tomatoes. What a waste! I watched
each day as the plants slowly died and dried up into brown sticks in the
ground. What amazed me was that the fruit stayed attached to the plants and
started the ripening process. For weeks we have been gathering ripe tomatoes
off of dead plants.

Today, while doing some studying I believe I saw a spiritual application for
this picture of a dead plant with fruit still being produced. You know how the
Bible uses plants to symbolically illustrate truths. For instance we are called
oaks of righteousness in Isaiah 61 and palm trees and cedars in Psalm 92. Jesus
used the fig tree to illustrate unfruitfulness. Just as these tomato plants
were destined to bear tomatoes, we are destined to bear fruit for the Kingdom.

A couple of weeks ago, I attended the funeral of a dear man, who bore much
fruit for the Kingdom. When my husband and I arrived at the church where the
visitation was being held, there was standing room only in the foyer. This was
not a small church, either. There were several hundred people there to pay
their respects. As we waited in line to get into the sanctuary where his family
was receiving friends and family, I could hear stories of reminiscing about how
this man had impacted their lives.

This man’s body withered up and died, but he was still carrying fruit in his
old age. The impact that this man made on the lives of others will be seen for
many years to come. His fruit will still be ripening, even though he is gone
physically. Jesus got very upset at a fig tree that was green and flourishing
because it had no fruit to feed the hungry. It looked good, but had nothing to
offer. This is a great contrast between the conditions of the soul.

Many Christians are walking around without any fruit to show for their
relationship with Jesus. They don’t think it is important to produce fruit, so
they busy themselves with the important things in life like work, sports,
hobbies and such. They see Jesus as a fireman to put out the disasters in
their lives or a policeman to save them from the devil. But Jesus is still
looking for fruit.

I wonder what He would have said to my friend with his aging body loaded down
with fruit from good works and walking in love with his fellow man. I believe
He would have looked straight at the fruit and said, “At last I have something
to eat. Well done good and faithful servant.”

There is one thing different about the tomatoes that I have been gathering from
the dead plants. The skin is tuff, but the inside is juicy like it should be.
The taste is just like a homegrown tomato. I see the tuff skin as the results
of the adversity that the plant went through to bring the fruit to full
maturity. It wasn’t easy holding it up off the ground. The sun was drying the
plant up quicker than the summer grass. Yet, in the midst of death, life was
coming forth.

Some of you have been wounded and had dreams totally destroyed by the enemy.
You think that there is nothing for you, but look closer and you will see that
you have fruit that has not ripened yet. Nurture it and bring it forth out of
the ashes of the pain that you feel. It will ripen if you let the Son shine on
it and you don’t give up hope. After all, the fruit of His time on earth is
still coming forth because death has no power over Him or you.

So, as I gaze out at the garden and see the little specks of red in the midst
of the brown “tumble weeds”, I have hope that no matter whatever comes my way
or how old I become there will be fruit for the Kingdom hanging on my branches.

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<http://www.injesus.com> InJesus

[whitecane] Wednesday Devotional: THE DEAD PLANTS

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