A Basket of Summer Fruit: A Devotional

“Thus the Lord God showed me, and behold, there was a basket of summer fruit.”
– Amos 8:1

When “To Be Praised” first launched, it was November. The Earth had just begun to stiffen, and the cold air surrounded us as we sipped pumpkin flavored coffee and tea. It doesn’t seem that long ago. We had less than 20 women studying each week when worked our way through the first series “The Harvest.”

As we’ll study in at our Summer Party and in weeks after that, time means so much to God. He uses it to bring His purpose to pass. Yes, in heaven, there is no need for time, eternity just is. But, here on in Earth and even in our solar system, God uses time as a form of measurement and governance.

How does time correlate to seasons where we harvest fruit? Seeds grow as the seasons change and at the right time, in the right season, under the right conditions, we bear fruit. What type of seeds did you plant in the past year? Have you planted seeds of doubt or seeds of faith? Have you planted seeds of courage or seeds of fear? Have you planted seeds of love or seeds of hate? The conditions for Summer’s reaping are here, what type of seed did you plant in months prior?

While we cannot see into the deep soil of one another’s hearts, we do see the outward fruit hanging from another’s limbs. An orange seed can only reproduce into another orange. Likewise, an apple seed bears an apple fruit. In our spiritual lives, the seeds of the Spirit bears the fruit of the Spirit, and the seeds of the flesh (ungodliness) bear the fruit of the devil. It’s that simple.

“For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the Law. Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.”
Galatians 5:17-23

So, what is in your Summer fruit basket? Do you have a basket of spiritual fruit ripe and ready to be picked and used by the Holy Spirit? If not, uproot anything in your life that has been sown by the flesh. These are not fruits God wants in your heart’s garden. Repent, be baptized, ask God to help you plant seeds of the Spirit — seeds that will multiply peace, love and blessings into your life.

Happy Summer!
#tobepraised