“But the fruit of the Spirit is love,
joy, peace, patience,
kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
gentleness and self-control.
Against such things there is no law.”
(Galatians 5:22-23 NIV)
John
Cawood’s hymn, “Almighty God, Thy Word Is Cast” was written in the early
1800’s. It is to be sung by the congregation immediately after the sermon is preached.
The reminder of God’s Word sown as seeds on receptive soil fits perfectly in
the worship service after a pastor’s exposition.
Almighty God, Thy word is cast
Like seed into the ground;
Now let the dew of heaven descend
And righteous fruits abound.
What are
“righteous” fruits? After a trip to the produce aisle at Publix, I thought I knew
what beautiful and luscious fruits were, but maybe not. Some fruits look appealing
but have no taste nor nourishing value.
My
husband’s tomato plants have run their course. Their straggly vines wind around
the metal tines of the cage and strain for life. The lush green leaves are gone,
only a few dried ones remain. The last fruit offerings look sad, but their
flavor is surprisingly satisfying. They are nourishing.
Jeff spent
long hours working the soil in his raised bed before inserting the first tomato
plant. Long after his initial effort, he constantly tended the soil to remove
pests and unwanted plants.
When the
Word of God is sown, it clamors for a fertile place to take root and grow. Only
with the help of heavenly dew soaking into our hearts can these seeds be
fruitful. How can we make our hearts more receptive?
We must
cultivate our hearts, bathe them in prayer in order to receive the Truth and
produce righteous fruit of the Spirit that can nourish others.
I will prepare
the soil of my heart for the seeds of His Word. I hope you will, too!
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