Daily Nuggets of Grace Part 7: Fruitful! 预览

Called to be Fruitful

You’re called to be abundantly fruitful. That’s a bold claim!

What does it even mean?

Over the next seven days, we’ll discover how central “being fruitful” has always been to God’s plan. We’re also going to see exactly what fruitfulness looks like for you as a disciple of Jesus.

Let’s start by seeing how "being fruitful" is central to God's plan for us.

Late summer in the UK is blackberry season. My young son loves it. He waits all year, hunting the hedgerows for early signs of the coming fruit. As the flowering brambles give way to the ripening berries, he’s smacking his lips in anticipation. I’ve never seen anyone able to eat them faster. He can inhale them by the handful.

The wild, tasty abundance of blackberry season is a tiny glimpse of God’s provision and promise of His fruitfulness. If the wild brambles can produce such fruit, what hope there is for us!

The Bible begins and ends with fruitfulness. God's first words to humankind were, "Be fruitful…" (Genesis 1:28). The Bible's final page speaks of the Tree of Life, yielding fruit every month (Revelation 22:2). From the Patriarchs, Psalms, and Prophets to John the Baptist, Paul, and Jesus Himself; fruit, being fruitful, and waiting for the right season is the bullseye of God's plans and purposes for us.

Psalm 1 speaks of the righteous being like a thriving fruit tree. Well-planted and well-watered, it bears fruit in season.

Jeremiah 17 echoes the same idea, declaring those who put their confidence in God will never fail to bear fruit. Paul’s opening words to the Colossians remind us that God’s original plan is being fulfilled as the gospel bears fruit.

And, of course, Jesus says He has chosen us to bear fruit (John 15).

Over the next week, we’ll discover how fruit is produced in our lives.

Let’s Reflect and Respond

Seasons, Harvests, Fruitfulness - God’s story is about bearing fruit in season. It’s tasty, and it’s worth waiting for. What fruit have you seen in your own life? Have you had to wait for it?

Let’s Pray

Father God, I thank you for creating me to bear fruit. Open my eyes to see, my ears to hear, and my heart to understand what that fruit looks like, how it is grown, and for whose benefit. In the name of Jesus, Amen.

Alright, now, let’s dive into the scriptures around this theme…