FRUIT

“I am the vine; you are the branches.
If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit…”
(John 15:5) 

On my day off this week, I picked up my two grandsons, Caleb & Ethan, and went over to my parents’ house (their great-grandparents) to pick oranges off their orange tree.  It’s always fun to watch young children pick fruit and vegetables in a natural setting rather than just buying food at a grocery store.

It brought back many memories.  First, I remembered picking blackberries with my own children every summer in Washington.  They grew everywhere.  And sometimes before dinner, my wife would send our kids out to the backyard to pick some tomatoes for a salad, or some strawberries for dessert.  Then, I remembered back even further to my own childhood when I picked apricots, pears, grapes, and figs in my own backyard.

But it also reminded me that, as Christians, we are to grow and produce fruit ourselves.  Jesus is the tree (or vine) and we are the branches on which fruit grows.  The amazing thing is that it doesn’t take much work on the part of a branch to grow fruit.  The branches just have to remain on the tree.  Of course, some sunshine and rain are helpful, too.  As a Christian, I don’t work at growing fruit.  I simply stay connected to Christ, add a little sunshine from God’s Word, and water it with some prayer.  Then, the Holy Spirit does the rest!  He produces the fruit.

Are you growing some fruit – love joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, etc.?  Are others able to pick some fruit off the branches of your life?

Dear Heavenly Father,
Thank you for Your Holy Spirit’s work in my life.
As I rub shoulders with others,
may they see in me the fruit of Christ-like character.
In Jesus’ name, Amen!

GOD’S LOVE LANGUAGE

“Love the Lord your God with all your heart
and with all your soul and with all your strength.”
(Deuteronomy 6:5)

A few years ago, Gary Chapman wrote a book entitled, The Five Love Languages.  If you have never read it, I recommend it.  It’s about how to build a healthy and loving relationship with your spouse by keeping their “emotional love tank” full.  Chapman writes, “I am convinced that keeping the emotional love tank full is as important to a marriage as maintaining the proper oil level is to an automobile.” When our emotional tank is empty, we feel used rather than loved and life seems dark and dreary.  But when our love tank is full, we feel secure and life looks bright.

So, how do I keep my spouse’s emotional love tank full?  The key is communicating love to your spouse in the language he/she understands best.  Each of us has a primary love language.  When that love language is spoken, our emotional love tank is replenished.  Do you know your spouse’s primary love language?

• Words of Affirmation – affirming, encouraging, kind words.
• Quality Time – focused, undivided attention.
• Giving Gifts – tangible, visible symbols of love.
• Acts of Service – doing things you know your spouse would appreciate.
• Physical Touch – holding hands, hugging, kissing, etc.

Marriage is all about relationship.  Come to think of it, that’s what our spiritual lives are all about, as well.  It’s not about rules and regulations. It’s not about rituals and routines. It’s not about working and doing.   It’s all about relationship!  God desires a love-relationship with you and me.  So, what is God’s love language?  I believe God speaks all the love languages.  Here’s how I see it…

• Words of Affirmation – through worship & praise, telling God how much I love Him.
• Quality Time – through my daily devotional time with God in prayer and Scripture
• Giving Gifts – by giving generously through tithes and offerings
• Acts of Service – by using my spiritual gifts to serve God as I serve others.
• Physical Touch – Okay, I’m still working on this one.

NOTE:  If you have some ideas on how “physical touch” might be translated into our spiritual relationship with God, share your your ideas in the comment section of this blog.  MEANWHILE, keep building your love-relationship with God by speaking the first four love languages to Him. And remember, it’s all about relationship!

Dear Heavenly Father,
More than anything, you desire a love-relationship with me.
Forgive me for getting sidetracked by all the little things in life.
May I refocus once again on the main thing in life – Loving You!
In Jesus’ name, Amen!

DATE NIGHT

“If you call the Sabbath a delight and the Lord’s holy day honorable,
and if you honor it by not going your own way
and not doing as you please or speaking idle words,
then you will find your joy in the Lord…”
(Isaiah 58:13-14) 

Friday night is date night!  Kay looks forward to dressing up and going out for dinner to a nice restaurant every Friday evening with her husband, Sam.  Sometimes they go to the symphony or a show at Gammage or a concert at one of the other venues.  Then they usually cap it off by coming home and putting on some nice music, lighting some candles, and dancing the night away in the privacy of their own living room.

Then it started.  One Friday afternoon, Sam called Kay to let her know he had to work late that night and wouldn’t be able to make it home for date night.  He finally came home about 10:00.  Kay wasn’t worried, though.  She knew it wouldn’t happen very often.   They were both committed to date nights.

Three weeks later, Sam called again.  He had to work late again.  A couple weeks went by and Sam called Kay again on Friday afternoon and said he was going to stop by the Sports Bar with the gang from work to watch a game.  Two weeks later he called to tell Kay that he was going to a ball game with some guys from work.  Two more weeks went by and Sam called to inform Kay he was going to play paint ball with the guys.  And the pattern continued. Sam was now calling Kay and canceling date night two or three times every month.

Kay began to wonder what was happening.  Was Sam lying to her?  Was he falling in love with someone else?  Was he falling out of love with her?  Or was she just not as important to Sam anymore?

How does God feel when we do the same to Him?  How does He feel when we start coming up with all sorts of reasons and excuses to miss our weekly date with Him on Sundays – work, family, leisure, ball games, fishing, etc.?  How does God feel when our weekly date with Him is just not that important anymore?

Where are you looking for joy?  Are you finding your joy in the Lord?

Dear Heavenly Father,
Forgive me for allowing other things in life
to distract from my relationship with you.
I renew my commitment to our weekly date.
May I find true joy in You once again!
In Jesus’ name, Amen!

LONGINGS OF THE SOUL

 “As the deer pants for streams of water;
so my soul pants for you, O God.
My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.
When can I go and meet with God?”
(Psalm 42:1-2)

Jack and Sarah are madly in love.  They have been dating for two years and just got engaged over the Christmas break.  Unfortunately, Jack is attending college in another city about a hundred miles from home, so they are not able to see each other every day.  But they are very thankful for modern technology.  They email or text each other several times during the day.  Jack calls Sarah every night via cell phone.  They have Skype, so they can see each other when they talk on the weekends.  Of course, it’s always better when Jack can go home for the weekend so they can spend a day or two together.  Jack and Sarah love to just hang out together.  They are both longing for the day when they get married and can be with each other all the time.

Is your relationship with God like Jack and Sarah?  Do you long to spend time with God?  Do you communicate with him via prayer and Scripture every morning and/or evening?  Are you looking forward to the day when you can see Him face-to-face? 

This is the first week of a New Year.  How about setting a goal to spend time with the Lord every day in 2012?  You don’t have to be one of those “spiritual giants” who spends an hour or two every day in prayer.  Just be yourself.  And, be realistic.  Start with ten minutes.  You can always increase the time as you go.  Here’s a simple plan – ‘Ten minutes with God.”

• Relax (1 minute) – Slow down.  Be still.  Prepare your heart.
• Read (3-4 minutes) – Read a chapter in the Bible (or a few verses)
• Reflect (1 minute) – Meditate on what you just read.  Think about how the passage applies to your life.
• Request (3-4 minutes) – Pray.  Talk to God.  Share your prayer requests with God.
• Relax (1 minute) – Take a final minute to be still & listen to the still, small voice of the Holy Spirit.

Is your soul thirsty?  Drink from the fountain of life.  Spend time with God. 

Dear Heavenly Father,
My soul thirsts for You, O Lord.
I long to spend more time with You.
As I start this New Year afresh, I am setting a goal
to spend time with You daily in 2012.
In Jesus’ name, Amen!