Two Good Questions

Read Luke 13

"And He began telling this parable: "A man had a fig tree which had been planted in his vineyard; and he came looking for fruit on it and did not find any. "And he said to the vineyard-keeper, 'Behold, for three years I have come looking for fruit on this fig tree without finding any. Cut it down! Why does it even use up the ground?' "And he answered and said to him, 'Let it alone, sir, for this year too, until I dig around it and put in fertilizer; and if it bears fruit next year, fine; but if not, cut it down.'" Luke 13:6-9

Examine:

An age old question is why do bad things happen to seemingly innocent people. The pursuit of this question has caused man to jump to many conclusions. Maybe the person had hidden sin? Maybe God is not just? Maybe it was just there time? In response to this question being raised in the first three verses of this chapter, Jesus responded with this parable. In this response I see Jesus saying that why something happened to someone is not the important question to ever ask. There are quite simply only two questions that matter: 1) Am I bearing fruit that pleases God? 2) Who in my life needs me to intercede on their behalf and invest in their growth.

Apply:

Am I bearing the fruit that God desires? I am not sure that I am. There is a growing sense in me that God is desiring to do a new work in my life. My prayers, my faith, and my ability to share God's Word with authority feel very weak in me. I sense God stirring me in these areas and I feel as if I need to produce better fruit.

Who in my life needs my help? The image of the gardener asking the master to give the tree some time and then seeing him take the initiative to help the tree grow is a beautiful picture of the relationship that God desires me to have with the people He has placed in my life. I should never sit in judgment of another person but should always be ready to intercede on their behalf and do what I can to fertilize their roots and help them to grow.

Prayer:

There seems to be two extremes inside of me. One attempts to justify everything I do as being ok. The other tears into everything I do and accuses it of being worthless. The result of these two voices in me is that I often find myself wondering what is truth. Am I where I need to be or am I missing the mark completely? That question causes me to be unstable and robs my faith of the confidence it needs to be bold. I ask You today for the truth concerning my life in You. Manifest Yourself in my prayers, prove my faith with Your power, and embolden my sharing of Your Word with the movement of Your Spirit. I ask the that Your truth quiet the voices inside of me that cause confusion and that the fruit of my life become evident to me.

People in my life who are not bearing fruit in You can be quite difficult to deal with. They curse at me. They strike blows that hurt. In their desire to run from You they do many things that are painful to themselves and to others in their life. I have a tendency to judge them and pray against them. I acknowledge the coldness of my heart this morning and my failure to be a good gardener in their life. I ask that You give me some more time with them and give me the wisdom I need to invest wisely in their growth.

I am not the man that I once was; nor am I the man You desire me to be. I am grateful for this journey of life. I submit to what it is You desire to do in me and through me. I pray that my life become a strong tree that offers rest and shade to those You have allowed to be a part of my life. Open the eyes of my heart today to hear and see the work You desire to do in and through me. All that is in me belongs to You. Take it as You will.