“FRUIT” FEBRUARY 8, 2022 SCRIPTURE AND SONG

SONG OF SOLOMON 6:3-4

3. I am my beloved’s garden, and my beloved is mine! He feeds among the lilies which grow there.

4. (He said:) You are as beautiful as Tirzah (capital of northern Israel’s first king), my love, and as comely as Jerusalem; but you are as terrible as a bannered host! Amp.

DEFINITIONS

Garden -c) as fenced, to hedge about, protect defend.

Lilies -c) whiteness, trumpet shape, bright, cheerful, glad.

Tirzah -c) delightsomeness, to be pleased with, to satisfy a debt, pardon. set affection.

Jerusalem -c) founded peaceful.

The Lord sees His people as a garden. If you have ever planted a garden, you know what it is like to take care of it. You are always on the lookout for blooms and fruit. And when you see the new growth and fruit what a joy it is.

The Lord looks upon each of us for the fruit of His Spirit.

Love
Joy
Peace
Longsuffering
Gentleness
Goodness
Faith
Meekness
Temperance

When He doesn’t see the fruit that He seeks, He prunes or cuts back the growth to make room for more and better growth. Pruning is painful and means suffering and affliction. It is always for our good and will not last any longer than is needed.

John 15:1-2 I Am the True Vine, and My Father is the Vinedresser.

6. If a person does not dwell in Me, he is thrown out as a broken branch and withers. such branches are gathered up and thrown into the fire and they are burned.

If we abide in Him, vitally united to Him we will bear fruit. Cut off from Him we can do nothing of ourselves. Then we can ask, and it shall be done. Verses 4-7

The only time the Lord stops pruning His garden is when it is not capable of producing any fruit. That means the trials cease. We really should not complain to Him about the trials. They are for our benefit and growth. May He never cease to prune and cultivate growth within us.

16. You have not chosen Me, but I have chosen you — and I have appointed you, I have planted you – that you might go and bear fruit and keep on bearing; that your fruit may be lasting (that it may remain, abide); so that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give it to you.

When He talks about fruit he is not talking about children, He is talking about who you are becoming. He wants us to be more loving, forgiving, fore bearing with others in their faults, humbly walking in love and not selfishness.

The children will come, but like Abraham, we might not see them before we die.

As the fruit of the Spirit takes root in our hearts, it will continue and not be pulled up. It will last through any trouble or sudden affliction because it is divinely wrought and cultivated. He knows how to accomplish such a wonderful thing for us.