IS YOUR FAITH PRODUCING FRUIT?

5 Thus says the LORD: " Cursed is the man who trusts in man And makes flesh his strength, Whose heart departs from the LORD. 6 For he shall be like a shrub in the desert, And shall not see when good comes, But shall inhabit the parched places in the wilderness, In a salt land which is not inhabited. 7 " Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, And whose hope is the LORD. 8 For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters, Which spreads out its roots by the river, And will not fear when heat comes; But its leaf will be green, And will not be anxious in the year of drought, Nor will cease from yielding fruit. 9 " The heart is deceitful above all things, And desperately wicked; Who can know it? 10 I, the LORD, search the heart, I test the mind, Even to give every man according to his ways, According to the fruit of his doings. Jeremiah 17:5-10 (NKJV)

Two pictures for you to bring into view in your imagination. On a family vacation we spent some time at the Salt Flats in Oklahoma. On a sign not many feet from where the salt flats began were the words DO NOT GO BEYOND THIS POINT.  As we looked out over this expanse of white we could see nothing but miles and miles of white. With the exception of a rare scraggly stalk, nothing but white, like a desert only instead of it being brown with sand, it was white with salt. Then the wind came up and the salt began to blow. The harder the wind blew, the greater the volume of salt in the air.  It seemed like it took less than a minute and we could faintly see that warning sign. Howling blizzard, biting sandstorm, irritating salt storm, all the same. You can’t see inches in front of you; you are lost; you have no sense of direction. You are there, and you have no hope.

On another vacation we visited a beautiful spot, and there are many places like this. The rains had been plentiful, the soil was rich, the colors deep and rich, and scents of the flowers wafted everywhere.  The majestic trees in all of their greenery reached toward the skies.  Even the weeds added to the beauty of the area. The fruit trees promised an abundant crop.  The clear waters revealed the fish as they swam gently past.  Signs of wildlife suggested a good habitation, and the singing of the birds made the place come alive. You are there, and there is hope.

As you see these pictures in your mind, it is not hard to see which picture relates to verses 5 and 6 of our Bible passage and which one relates to verses 7 and 8. All that needs to be answered is this question "Is my faith being snuffed because the storms of sin that are a part of me and also surround me have separated me from my only source of life, the Love of God?"  If that is where you are as you read this, don’t give up. Even if your voice is weak and about to give out from the beating you are taking from the pelting sand, salt or snow, God will still hear you. God will still be able to reach out His loving Hand to you and lead you to that other picture where it will be your decision to bear fruit or to return to that blowing, blinding storm where there is no hope.

WE PRAY:   Lord, sometimes I am so down and depressed that it seems I cannot see where I am or know which direction to go.  If that happens, even in the weakest moments, Lord hear me pray:

Though oft Thy power but faintly may stir my soul,

With Thee, my Light in darkness, I reach the goal.

Take then my hand, dear Father, and lead Thou me,

Till at my journey’s ending I dwell with Thee.

O TAKE MY HAND DEAR FATHER.

www.cyberhymnal.org 

A SUGGESTION FOR LIVING THE DEVOTION

Don’t let a day go by without reviewing that day with God. We take the garbage out of the house every day so that we will not be overcome by the smell and our house will not be filed with trash.  As we review our day with God ask Him to remove the garbage and trash, your sins, so that they do not overpower you.