Seedtime and Harvest
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“But when the Holy Spirit controls our lives, he will produce this kind of fruit in us: love, joy peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control” (Galatians 5:22, 23 NLT).
During springtime when we see the daffodils and tulips blooming we often think of preparing our gardens. I grew up on a farm in the Midwest and we always had a garden to raise our potatoes and vegetables. As I was thinking about sowing seeds in the garden I was reminded of the fruit of the spirit in Galatians 5:22, 23.
The seed for the fruit of the spirit is sown in our hearts when we invite Jesus Christ into our hearts. Frequent reading and meditating on God’s Word will water the seed for it to sprout.
Are you watering and nourishing your heart with God’s Word?
During this time the sun, Jesus the Son of God must warm our hearts for the plant to grow. The seed often needs to be fertilized with a Bible study, small group, and church attendance in addition to reading God’s Word. The fellowship and sharing with other believers can stimulate our spiritual growth.
Are you attending a church or Bible study where God’s Word can stimulate spiritual growth in your life?
To produce a good harvest lots of weeding and pruning needs to take place. Weeding and pruning isn’t easy, fun, or convenient however, it has to be done to produce a good crop. Our enemy the evil one sows the weeds. He wants to distract us with weeds of busyness, selfish desires, struggling relationships in our families or at work, depression, or health issues. We may need to do some weeding and pruning by making choices. Daily we have to make choices to place God as a priority, submit to His Word, and obey Him so we can place ourselves in a position to hear God’s voice. Whether the decisions are big or little, they can be painful for a time.
What is the enemy using to distract you from developing an intimate relationship with the Lord?
If we have invited Jesus Christ into our hearts, the Holy Spirit dwells within our hearts. He is waiting for us to ask Him to come along side to help us with the weeding and pruning in our lives.
Are you experiencing freedom from sin and in a position to hear God speaking to you?
For a productive harvest, the seed must be sown in good soil, watered with God’s Word, warmed with His love, fertilized, weeded, and pruned. Then the fruit of the spirit will flow from our hearts to those we meet each day. The fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.
Let’s show God’s love to others so the soil of their hearts will be prepared when presented with an opportunity to invite Jesus Christ into their lives.
Dear Father, I pray the soil of my heart will be watered with Your Word, warmed with your sunshine and fertilized with the fellowship of other believers. Show me the baggage I need to weed and prune from my heart so I will hear your voice more clearly. Help me to experience your love and peace when I need weeding and pruning in my spiritual life.
Show me how I can prepare the soil of the hearts of others by showing them your love.
Questions: Are you able to take the time to listen to God speaking to you? What is the enemy using to distract you from developing an intimate relationship with the Lord?
About the Author Lillian Penner
Daily audio podcast: A second daily devotional, Three Benefits of Good News, today on the Men’s Devotional Blog
Tags: Bible study, daffodils, depression, enemy, faithfulness, fertilized, freedom, gentleness, goodness, harvest, Health Issues, Holy Spirit, Jesus the Son of God, joy peace, kindness, Lillian Penner, love, patience, pruned, pruning, Seedtime, self-control, selfish desires, tulips, weeded, weeding
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Lillian, I can’t tell you how the timing of reading this devotional today has effected my spirits. I could create any excuse as to why I been slacking in responding to devotionals as of late but bottom line is ‘I don’t know why’. So once again this morning, I open up the responses and had the need to let you know how comforting your devotional has been. The enemy, he is crafty. I don’t know what’s been holding me back but I’m determined to find out what it is and discard it from my heart. The Lord does work in mysterious ways and I’ve got to learn not to question them.
I am so blessed that you have found the devotional helpful. It is so important for the soil of our hearts to be prepared to hear God speak to us. May God bless you!
I just wanted to tell you that this devotional really spoke to my life. I am going through a very difficult time right now and this is what I needed to hear. It was a very harsh word to me but exactly what I needed.
its amazing how God proves himself over and over. In pastors sermon yesterday, he mentioned the fruits of the spirit. I have them written in my daily planner and I try to practtice at least one a day. These are so important to me. God bless everyone reading this daily devo.
Good morning Lillian!
I feel led to respond to your devotional this morning. It was exactly what I needed to hear! Thank you for taking time to write these and minister to others. What a blessing and insporation you are. May God richly bless you!