Bearing Fruit

Jensen and Mommy picking Blackberries

Jason picking Blackberries

Beautiful Fruit!

These are the Blackberries that we picked!

The weather today was absolutely gorgeous! I decided that it was the perfect day to visit Taylor's Orchard to pick Blackberries. It has been years since I picked Blackberries and the last time I picked them, I got scratched by huge thorns and had to wade through crowded thickets to even get a handful of fruit. Not only that, but the weeds were so thick, I was always afraid of a snake slithering around my feet. :) Needless to say, in the past it has not always been a positive experience, but my love for Blackberries always pushed me to venture into the weeds and thorns for that bittersweet taste of summer! I loved the vines at Taylor's Orchard because they are thornless and it is well mowed. I did not worry about snakes today!

When we arrived at the orchard, we were greeted by Mr. Virgil, an elderly man who looked to be in his late 70s or early 80s. He had such a sweet, gentle spirit and was very taken with Jensen. Somewhere during our conversation, Jensen had told Mr. Virgil that she loved Jesus. He immediately told Jensen that he loved Jesus too. He proceeded to tell us of his love for his church and how he loves to serve in the Children's ministry and occasionaly serve in the youth ministry. We visited for a little longer and the decided we better get to the vines before we ran out of time.

Jensen and I started picking Blackberries. She loved it for awhile, but didn't like that some of the berries excreted juice when she picked them. She and I both ended up with very purple fingers! Jason joined us a little later and Jensen loved showing her Dad how to pick the right way!

While picking the berries, I saw bright red berries that were hard and not yet ripe. I saw perfect, plump berries that were dark in color and very juicy. I saw berries that were juicy yet over-ripe and rotting on the vine. I also saw berries that were shriveled and dried up. Of course, I looked for the perfect, plump, dark berries that were just right! As I was picking through the vines for the perfect berries, I got to thinking about what God's Word says about fruit. I was reminded of Matthew 3:10 that says "Even the ax of God's judgment is poised, ready to sever the roots of the trees. Yes, every tree that does not produce good fruit will be chopped down and thrown into the fire." Also, Matthew 7:16-20 that says "You can identify them by their fruit, that is by the way they act. Can you pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? A good tree produces good fruit, and a bad tree produces bad fruit. A good tree can't produce bad fruit, and a bad tree can't produce good fruit. So every tree that does not produce good fruit is chopped down and thrown into the fire. Yes, just as you can identify a tree by its fruit, so you can identify people by their actions." After reading these verses in my Bible, I looked at what my commentary had to say about this subject. The commentary was extremely bold and I thought I would share with you what it had to say: Just as a fruit tree is expected to bear fruit, God's people should produce a crop of good deeds. God has no use for people who call themselves Christians but who live otherwise. Like many people in John's day who were God's people in name only, we are of no value if we are Christians in name only. If others can't see our faith in the way we treat them, we may not be God's people at all. God's message hasn't changed since the Old Testament: People will be judged for their unproductive lives. God call us to be active in our obedience. John compared people who claim they believe God but don't live for God to unproductive trees that will be cut down. To be productive for God, we must obey his teachings, resist temptation, actively serve and help others, and share our faith. How productive are you for God?

I really want to have the kind of fruit in my life that looks like the plump, juicy, dark blackberries. You know how they get juice all over you if you squeeze them too hard? I want to be so full of the spirit that it overflows out of me! I pray that my life is like those tall, beautiful vines that are filled with so many berries that you know you are looking at a Blackberry vine. There is no way you mistake it for an orange tree or a strawberry patch. I don't want my life to be like those berries that are rotting on the vine or even like the ones that are shriveled and dried up. I want the fruit of my life to be so evident that it is not mistaken for anything other than the love of God! After visiting with Mr. Virgil today, I could see that he is bearing much fruit. It was extremely evident in his life that he has a personal relationship with Jesus and that he loves being able to help little children grow closer to Jesus. His fruit is evident! I pray that your life is also bearing much fruit and that it is evident to those around you!