Fruit Trees

Tonight my pastor taught me a great deal about the gospel, in about 15 seconds. It's no quick fix. It's no magic formula. My struggle against sin is not all over in a day. Instead, the gospel chips away at my sinful nature. It molds me. Shapes me. Little by little.

This encourages me in my wrestling match against pride, anger, slander, lust, etc, etc; for I am corrupt in all of my being, just as the children's catechism says. To flee, cling, and rest on God is all I can do. And through my trials, God will sustain me, sinful nature and all, while He slowly perfects and renders fruit of holiness out of me.

"God is a gardener; He grows trees. He doesn't sell canned fruit. What He produces takes time and He is glorified by the process often more than the product." Russel Kelfer

Chesteron remarked, "You can easily imagine trees not growing fruit; you can imagine them growing golden candlesticks or tigers hanging on by the tail. A tree grows fruit because it is a magic tree."

While I'm more apt to produce tigers-by-the-tail, God can bring even fruit of holiness out of me.