Dead But Destined To Be Fruitful

They will be fruitful

"And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; And patience, experience; and experience, hope: And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us." (Rom 5:3-5 KJV)

 

A couple of years ago I was given the banana trees in the photo as a Mother’s Day gift. Almost two years and still no bananas. They have died twice. 

During the first summer after I planted them it rained and rained and rained. Unfortunately I had planted them in a low spot in the yard and they drowned. But, I had hope. So I planted them in a higher spot when we came home from an extended vacation with hope that they would live again.  They did. 

I watch the weather forecast daily for all kinds of possible events including frost. A few weeks ago, as should be expected from experience, the weather forecast was not correct and I woke up to a major frost covering everything. The buds on my orange and grapefruit trees were dead. Thankfully, the trees themselves were not. But, the banana trees had major damage to them. That is what we are looking at dead or dying trees. I still have hope because you see banana trees reproduce themselves. Their roots put out outreach roots and grow new plants called pups. I learned this from the experience with their first death by drowning. Kind of like the Christian who is drowned in the waters of baptism and then given new life. Even though these little trees look pretty bad and they look dead I have hope that they will still live and produce fruit. 

Like the banana tree, the faithful Christian reach out with underground offshoots that produce new growth. By the abiding presence of Jesus the Christ and by the power of the Holy Spirit we reach out sharing the Good News of eternal life in the Kingdom of God for all who believe and the Body of Christ continues to grow. 

Even though we die, we shall live. Have patience, it may look devastating at times; but, the truth will never die no matter what kind of enemy comes up against it. .I have hope that the truth will live for all of eternity. In fact it is more than hope. I know that because the truth is Jesus Christ who is the tree of life and he himself likened us to the branches of a magnificent tree. We are not so unlike the runners off of a banana tree that reproduces itself.

Two years and no fruit from the banana trees. But, I have patience and I have hope that one day they will produce fruit. The ones you see here may not produce the fruit directly; but, they will through their offspring; through their pups I will see fruit one day. We may not also always get to see the fruit produced when we share the Word of God. But, fruit will be produced whether we get to see it or not. It will happen so don’t give up. Have patience and hope. Just because you can’t see or experience the fruitfulness of something doesn’t mean it hasn’t happened. After all, God did tell us through Isaiah the prophet: "So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it." (Isaiah 55:11)

Have patience; have hope, and share the word of God so that it might produce fruit for the glory of God! God’s Peace and hope be with you all. Amen!

God's Peace - Pr. J