"Reflections of the Heart: Learning Value and Finding Beauty in the Darkest of Places"

We live in a world that encourages going straight from point A to point B, with as little time wasted in between as possible. Time has become something we can't seem to live without, yet at the same time something we wish we could.

We often get so caught up in ourselves that we assume more than we realize. For myself, I value relationships enormously; anyone who knows me knows that I try to be as genuine as I can be with people. However, I often muddle up my relationships no matter how true I try to be. I assume things about others when they are not true. I assume others think and feel the same way I do, which is rarely the case. How many people do you know that are exactly like you?

When I assume things about others though, I have a problem; I don't seem to be really thinking about those around me even though I'd like to think so. I'm actually more worried about what they will think of me. After all, I am thinking they are feeling what I would feel if I were them—still with me? :P. But they are not me, and yet no matter how many times I tell myself that, I don't seem to change…

Once in awhile though I meet people who are truly sincere, and choose to place a genuine interest in my life. I was out the other night with my amazing older brother and a lovely friend of ours, and I must say we all had a wonderful conversation about life and the like. It was so nice to be around people who not only care about you, but understand you and are willing to accept who you are or who you are becoming. It is people like them, and moments like those that cause me to self-reflect upon my life. Its times like those that make me feel genuinely happy, and truly thankful I am loved. It's people like them that reflect of God's love for me.

It's generally difficult for us humans to give up ourselves. It's hard to surrender our fears, to talk about our feelings and emotions, our thoughts and opinions with others. After all, someone might disapprove of us right? And who wants to face human rejection? I know I certainly don't. I am probably one of the worst when it comes to lacking self confidence.

It's simpler of course to stay on the surface of our lives. Simpler to take the easier roads and hope that life is handed to us on silver platters. But what benefits do we receive from paths like these? Not much. It is healthy and important for us to grow, which means many times it is actually better for us to feel the difficulties of life. If everything was easy (which would be boring), then no one would progress or learn anything. Look at Jesus' life. He taught us so many things; but He wasn't just all talk. He lived it.

"Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it. Matthew 7:13-14

It's easy to say all these things, but much harder to actually carry them out (believe me). You all know the saying, "it's easier said than done". But Jesus himself never said life would be easy. "I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." John 16:33

I am an amateur photographer, and I recently was given the opportunity of a dream job—a student photography internship. I thought that that would be perfect for me; I thought that was something I not only wanted, but needed in my growth in the field of photography. But many times what I want may not be what I need.

I didn't get the job, even though I tried my best. At first I was disappointed and angry. 'What did I do wrong?' I wondered. 'Why wasn't I good enough for them? How could they choose someone over an obviously talented me?' But after awhile I thought about it, and realized something phenomenal. I was being rather self-centered.

I believe God gives us opportunities in life. I would have sworn to you before I knew of the job that it was an amazing, silver-platter opportunity given me by God. But later on I realized that perhaps instead of God giving me an opportunity at a job, He might have been giving me the opportunity at something else I needed more. The job was something I wanted, but perhaps not the thing I most needed.

God knows our hearts. He knows what we need, and gives us many opportunities to ensure that. There will be times you don't understand the opportunities God gives you. But in everything take the time to learn; for me, I realized that God might have wanted me to see that life isn't always going to be easy, but to take heart and grow from such experiences regardless. I've had a wonderful life; blessed beyond measure. So I think I needed to hear from Him that it won't always be this way, but that I should learn to trust Him, and to know that He will lead me through. Yet You, Lord, are Our Father. We are the clay, You are the potter; we are all the work of Your hand. Isaiah 64:8

"I am God, the God of your father," He said. "Do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for I will make you into a great nation there. I will go down to Egypt with you, and I will surely bring you back again." Genesis 46:3-4

"Since that time an endless succession of my people have come this way. They came to learn the secret of royalty, and now you are here, Much-Afraid. You, too, are in the line of succession. It is a great privilege, and if you will, you also may learn the lesson of the furnace and of the great darkness just as surely as did those before you. Those who come down to the furnace go on their way afterwards as royal men and women, princes and princesses of the Royal Line." The Great Shepherd, Hinds Feet on High Places by Hannah Hurnard.

He wanted me to learn humility, and to be appreciative. In such a moment I humbled myself to the fact that the person, who did get the job, might have needed it more than I. I humbled myself in thinking that it wasn't that I was wrong or not as good, but that it might not have been right for me. I needed something different. Believers in humble circumstances ought to take pride in their high position. James 1:9a

He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God. Micah 6:8

This moment also taught me value. When we get in our selfish modes we tend to devalue things, or rather take things for granted. I was doing this, expecting to get the job because I thought it was perfect for me. Blessed people are always blessed right?

I took the situation for granted. I thought I would easily get it. But my high expectations were let down.

Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. James 1:2-4

So I didn't get the job, but I learned several valuable lessons. 1) I realized I needed to move on with my life and simply try for another job of some other type. Even things that don't seem to make sense at all can be great opportunities to learn and to grow. And I hope to meet many of those (which I have and will); challenges are good for someone like me. Challenges are good for all of us.

2) There is ALWAYS hope. Keep your chins up and fight the good fight. Try and even if you do not succeed, take heart; for God sees you and recognizes everything that you do, even if no one else does. As Hilary Swank's character Erin Gruwell said in the "Freedom Writers" movie: "I SEE you Marcus; and you are not failing." Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love Him. James 1:12

This life will be hard. But in those moments where everything seems to be falling apart or no one seems to care about you, remember you are not alone. God is always near. Just call on His name, and suddenly your world seems just a little bit brighter.

Why do we discuss topics such as these in these daily breads? They seem like 'no-brainers' right? They should be, but it seems, at least with me, that we need reminders of them from time to time. Its daily breads like these that hopefully remind us of who we are in the eyes of God. He sees us as valuable. He sees us as people of much worth.

Listen and hear my voice; pay attention and hear what I say. When a farmer plows for planting, does he plow continually? Does he keep on breaking up and working the soil? When he has leveled the surface, does he not sow caraway and scatter cumin? Does he not plant wheat in its place, barley in its plot, and spelt in its field? His God instructs him and teaches him the right way. Caraway is not threshed with a sledge, nor is the wheel of a cart rolled over cumin; caraway is beaten out with a rod, and cumin with a stick. Grain must be ground to make bread; so one does not go on threshing it forever. The wheels of a threshing cart may be rolled over it, but one does not use horses to grind grain. All this also comes from the Lord Almighty, whose plan is wonderful, whose wisdom is magnificent. Isaiah 28:23-29

So to all my friends, family, and readers out there who have stood by me and lifted me up, I would like to say thank you. I hope that you would know that I have not nor ever will forget you. You are in my thoughts always as I go through this life.

We have to try not to get so caught up in ourselves that we lose sight of everything else. God's still around. He cares about you, so why not give Him a try if you haven't already? Look at Him smile today in the shining of the sun. Feel Him in the sweeping of the wind, His emotions in the brilliance of the sky. He is in everything; in you. He's the least selfish of us all; after all, this is all for you and I, not all about you and I. Open your hearts and reflect all you have learned. See the beauty, feel the value of who you are.*

Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. Philippians 2:3-4

But for you who revere My name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its rays. Malachi 4:2a

Basking in the sunlight,

Whitney

"Finding Beauty in the Darkness"

Most of us have gone through at least one funeral in our lives, whether due to the passing of a family member or that of a friend. No matter how close you may have been with the deceased or the family of the deceased, funerals never seem to be an easy thing to go through. I myself have been to more than I can remember, and it seems apparent now that even experience can't seem to prepare you for loss.

Last week I attended the funeral of a good friend of mine's son. My friend, Suzanne, already has a family, but the passing of this new addition of theirs was still very difficult; especially when you hear the story.

Suzanne was hospitalized a few months after she learned of her pregnancy. A complication had unfortunately arisen with the baby. At 30 weeks, the doctors at the hospital she was taken to delivered her son, Dylan, on November 5, 2010.

He died two days later.

The beautiful thing about Suzanne was that she was my first official friend in my college career. Subsequently I met her family too, and what a beautiful family they are! I thank God for such a blessing as they.

So I was honored to be with Suzanne when she learned of her pregnancy, and to be there when she told her husband. What a special moment for her and here I was, only a recent friend, and the one she chose to be there to hear the exciting news of Dylan-to-be. Suzanne and I discussed how wonderful it would be to one day recount to her child that moment of discovery. But alas, plans we make often do not go the way we want them to…

Losses such as these don't often make sense. Why should one as innocent as he have to die, we ask. Dylan was born without a lung, and while the doctors did everything they could to save him, alas, he could not be. His life was not meant to be lived, but his legacy will never die...

Dylan was just under 2lbs. when he was born, and he was loved from the moment he was conceived. How precious life is.

It was hard to watch my friends go through such a difficult time. Even though I didn't know Dylan personally, his loss was still painfully felt by all who were there at his memorial.

With Thanksgiving fast approaching, you may be wondering how a person could truly be thankful. Losing someone is never an easy thing on its own to bear, and least of all to be able to say thank you to God for. Impossible you might say, but Jesus said, "With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26

So,

Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. 1 Thessalonians 5:17

Whoa.

Dylan's short life teaches us something, indeed, of how precious and fragile life really is. I am sure we think about death from time to time, but without actually experiencing it head on, we aren't as impacted as we should be. I am not here to depress you, but rather in the hopes of opening your eyes to something beautiful amidst all this darkness. Dylan's life personally hit me as a powerful eye-opener. Here I was, a young college student, with quite a few years already under my belt, living life as I see it, with nary a care in the world. I have no idea what it means to be Dylan. I take my life for granted everyday…Dylan will never truly know what I have lived or learned. His parents will never see him grow into the man they cherished him to be.

If you are thinking of blaming God for such a tragic loss, please think again. God grieves when lives are lost. This is what makes humans so beautiful: our ability to feel. And since we are fashioned in His image, it makes sense that we should also have torrid of emotions. God loves us, and as any father would, longs to see us joyful rather than hurt or sad. Fathers wish to protect their children from all the harm of this world, but no matter how they do try, it still comes. But fathers are there every step of the way, just as God was there with Dylan, with you, and with me. God helps us up when we fall, and rejoices as we grow in all that we experience.

"Where have you laid him?" he asked. "Come and see, Lord," they replied. Jesus wept. Then the Jews said, "See how he loved him!" John 11:34-36

Having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end. John 13:1a

I know many things in this life of ours don't make sense. Why would Dylan have such a short life? Doesn't seem very fair does it. I can't give you an answer, although I wish that I could. All we seem to be able to do is try to work out as much as we can, and keep going even when it feels like we never could. For, after all, we have a beautiful hope, a hope that God offers us.

Come near to God and He will come near to you. Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will lift you up. James 4:8-10

When you are sad, God offers us comfort. So it is alright to grieve for those lost. But do not let it consume you, for look, and see beauty where it is rarely ever seen. As I mentioned earlier, Dylan's life was not meant to be lived. But his legacy can be…

So as you sit down for Thanksgiving dinner with all those lovely trimmings, give thanks for the life you have. Give thanks for every second that you are here. Give thanks that God has given you such blessed opportunities to love Him and to love others. We never know when our time will come, but we should be ready.

Keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour. Matthew 25:13

This is my prayer for my friend and her family during this time, that they can give thanks for having been with Dylan for those two beautiful days. That they also continue to give thanks that Dylan is with God right now where no pain or harm can come to him. Give thanks for the moments we get to spend with one another, for they are truly beautiful.

I hope this story of Dylan's doesn't sadden you during this upcoming holiday. I hope instead that he makes you think about things, especially about your own lives, and that you value life that much more. Dylan has already taught us to live, to love God more, to go to Him in our times of comforting needs, and to see how beauty can be found from the loss of life. This beauty is the ability to learn, and the ability to keep ever onward in our spiritual walks. So, say thank you for his story touching yours. Take his legacy and learn to give thanks in every aspect of your life. Thank God for both the ups, AND the downs. Thank God that He draws near.*

Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. James 1:2-6

"Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light." Matthew 11:28-30

Thank you Dylan,

Whitney

"Leaving Footprints"

It's both amazing and frightening what's out there.

There are a lot of decent people in our world, who have done many good things. Our technology is constantly being upgraded; our medical advancement is always on the move. The things we humans can perceive are both amazing and frightening. For good intentions sometimes come with bad results…

The Internet for example, was an incredible accomplishment. My parents and their generation had never experienced anything like it when they were young—remember having to do all your research via the library? But with so much at our fingertips, we can also easily fall into temptation. With most things, there comes a price.

Google a word, any word, and on average hundreds if not more of related results will pop up. Type in a dirty word and guess what you'll get? Unfortunately making the World Wide Web accessible to the world comes with such potential risks.

We have so many great inventions and ideas around us, but they often get changed to something we didn't mean for them to be. In our daily walks we often encounter these new obstacles; we can either allow our curiosity to be satisfied, or choose not to give into our creations. So while we have so much that can easily bring us down, we don't have to let it be that way. This means we can choose to either follow in God's footsteps, or stick to just creating our own.

God is perfect. He created us in His image, and if that's true, shouldn't we try to be more like Him? Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground." Genesis 1:26 You might be wondering, "Well Whitney, if we are made in God's likeness, shouldn't we be as spotless as God?" To answer that let's look at what the Merriam-Webster Dictionary has to say about "likeness": the quality or state of being like; resemblance; copy; portrait; appearance; semblance. We are like God, but we are not God Himself. After all, if we were so perfect we wouldn't mess up so much. So why then would He bother creating us with blemishes at all? I believe He was never planning for us to stray; but He did give us the freedom to choose our lives, and with this free will came potential "side effects", all of which we no doubt probably created ourselves. Sorry folks. But like the Internet, we often create things that has the potential to become corrupted. So, instead we 'Google' for sin, get the temptations associated with it and then take them for a test-drive. We often make the decision to go our own way without God.

God didn't want His creation to love Him because we HAD to. He wanted us to love Him because we chose to. And now, O Israel, what does the Lord your God ask of you but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to observe the Lord's commands and decrees that I am giving you today for your own good? Deuteronomy 10:12-13 So in creating us He gave us the OPPORTUNITY to love Him. Just like with Adam and Eve with the tree in the garden, we can view that moment as an opportunity that God presented to them; an opportunity to trust in God and love Him or not. Adam and Eve were tempted and tested and they chose to follow in their own 'footsteps'.

To be realistic, we're all going to mess up at some point in our lives no matter how 'good' we try to be. But we have been given not only the opportunity to live Godly lives, but also the opportunity to fall before God and ask for His mercy and forgiveness with a sincere heart if we stray. And He will gladly help us to recover. Because no matter your decisions, He still loves you! You have the OPPORTUNITY to let go of your sin. So what are you waiting for?*

For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be. So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God. But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His. And if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you. Romans 8: 1-11

For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, "Abba, Father." The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together. Romans 8: 15-17

Following the Father's footsteps,
Whitney

"A New Beginning"

We all have a beginning and an end. We are born, and then eventually we will pass on from this life. It is something we cannot nor ever will escape and while the topic of our death seems a depressing one, it should not be.

For death is but simply another beginning.

Many of us lead great lives; we love everyone, support our Churches, volunteer, help the homeless, go to church, witness to others, pay tithes, etc. etc., anything to show we are "good" people by what we do. And to live this way is great; we should help were we can and love those around us. For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. Ephesians 2:8-10  

But if we truly want to be "good people", we really need to live it. We shouldn't do "good works" without having a meaningful reason behind them. What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him, "Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed," but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. But someone will say, "You have faith; I have deeds." Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do. You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder. You foolish man, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless? Was not our ancestor Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. James 2:14-2

God didn't just create us on a whim. He had a reason, and while we may have to wait until we meet with Him to ask just what that reason was, we do know that if we were created by a powerful God, He must have done it with love in mind. For each one of us are so different, and yet "God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them." Genesis 1:27 If God were so loving as to create each one of us, and give us such a beautiful planet to live upon, we ought to show how much we love him back by living our lives justly so. 

God needs to be the reason behind why we do the things that we do. But not for a "get into Heaven ticket"; God doesn't measure you on your "how good you were on earth" status, but rather on whether you genuinely love Him or not. God gave us the freedom to choose how to live our lives; with or without Him. God loves us unconditionally, whether we love Him back or not. A beautiful God who invites us to spend eternity with Him once we die, again, if we want to or not. I'd say that's a pretty awesome God folks. He doesn't force us to love Him, but He loves us regardless of our choice.

Death comes to us all sooner or later, and we need to make sure our hearts are prepared for whenever the time will come. "Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour." Matthew 25:13 (read also Matthew 25:1-13) We can show how great we are during our lives, but if spiritually we aren't ready, it won't matter that we were "good people"; spiritually we need to be prepared, so how we physically and mentally live our lives will reflect the meaning that we find spiritually; God Almighty Himself. That personal relationship with Him must be forefront in everything we do. He gave us life; now we need to show that by putting Him into what we do; this then will give all that we do or say genuine meaning. A man can do nothing better than to eat and drink and find satisfaction in his work. This too, I see, is from the hand of God, for without him, who can eat or find enjoyment? To the man who pleases him, God gives wisdom, knowledge and happiness, but to the sinner he gives the task of gathering and storing up wealth to hand it over to the one who pleases God. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind. Ecclesiastes 2:24-26

When my grandmother passed away, we remembered her life by ways of a small memorial service. She was a mother/grandmother who truly did it all—a wonderful loving icon for our society. But now that she is gone, is the legacy she left behind no longer matter? Is her death truly her end? 

Jesus was in her life and legacy; He gave all that she did a beautiful meaning. And even though she is gone, the people she touched still live on and thus will carry the spirit of her embodiment on into the years to come. Jesus and all the rest of us show how death is really just another chapter in her life. She is in Heaven now, and beginning her eternal life. You can look at earth as a practice run for when she was offered the choice of God or no God. If she hadn't accepted Him here on earth, would she have when death came along? Would her heart been prepared enough to know which to accept?

Will WE ever be fully prepared? Will we always strive to be prepared? If you strive for that personal relationship here on earth today, then when the real test comes along, you will be more ready than you ever could be.

For death is but simply another beginning.*

Life; gone in an instant,

gone in the blink of an eye.

Life; cherish the moments,

they could be short or long.

Life; never waste it,

too precious to just let go.

Life; with every beginning,

there must be an end.

You never know when your moment

just might be around the bend.

Do you know where you're going

when that time comes before you,

beckoning your soul within reach?

Don't put it aside;

Don't delay--

You don't know at what time a day,

Your life just might float away.

I am Heaven-Bound.
Where will you be found?*

I declare to you, brothers and sisters, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed—in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: “Death has been swallowed up in victory.”
“Where, O death, is your victory?
Where, O death, is your sting?”
The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Corinthians 15:50-57

Beginning anew,

Whitney

"True Fruitfulness" 12-9-08

This message will be based on a parable that many of us are probably familiar with: The Fig Tree That Withers. (Quite an original name, wouldn't you say?)

The next day as they were leaving Bethany, Jesus was hungry. Seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to find out if it had any fruit. When he reached it, he found nothing but leaves, because it was not the season for figs. Then he said to the tree, "May no one ever eat fruit from you again..."

In the morning, as they went along, they saw the fig tree withered from the roots. Peter remembered and said to Jesus, "Rabbi, look! The fig tree you cursed has withered!" "Have faith in God," Jesus answered. "I tell you the truth, if anyone says to this mountain, "Go, throw yourself into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him. Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins." (Mark 11:12-14, 20-25 NIV)

Pretty neat parable, huh! Jesus took an ordinary occurrence and turned it around to a lesson on faith and prayer. However, there is a deeper message embedded within this passage that I would like us to look at as well. I would like us to focus on how this fig tree can represent our own spiritual fruitfulness.

Picture the scene. At a distance, hungry Jesus sees a fig tree in full leaf (keeping in mind that fig trees, when they are in full leaf, have produced their fruit - so seeing a fig tree full of leaves indicates that fruit will be found). He approaches this tree, and upon reaching it, finds that it hadn't produced any fruit at all. (For, you see, this all took place somewhere around March/April, the time of the Passover - which was too early for figs, meaning this tree had produced leaves prematurely.) So in response, he curses it, and in a matter of days, the fig tree withers from the roots upward.

"He told them this parable: "Look at the fig tree and all the trees. When they sprout leaves, you can see for yourselves and know that summer is near." (Luke 21:29-30 NIV)

When you see a fig tree in full leaf, you can expect two things, practically speaking: for summer to be near, and for fruit to have been produced. So what does this mean for us? Let's compare this fig tree with our own souls, and look at a fascinating parallel. Sometimes, at a distance, we may appear to have produced fruit; we may have lush, green leaves on all of our branches. But when you draw near, when you get close to what is truly inside our hearts, all of that was a mask, a deception, and there is no TRUE fruit in our lives. We appear to be fruitful and prosperous on the outside, but on the inside, our souls are dry and fruitless. What happens to trees who don't produce any fruit? I think you know:

"He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful... I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches will be picked up, thrown into the fire, and burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given to you. This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples. As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love." (John 15:2, 5-9 NIV)

Such is the fate of all who feign Godliness, who fake righteousness, and who deceive others into believing they are righteous when in reality their hearts are as barren as the fig tree spoken of by Jesus above. Don't settle for mock righteousness; don't settle for only appearing to be fruitful on the outside, while being truly dead and unfruitful on the inside. Seek to remain in Jesus Christ and His love, and seek God for the fruit of His Spirit to be made manifest in your life so that, unlike this fig tree, when Jesus comes around examining fruits, He will not find us barren, but will find us producing fruit for His Kingdom; fruit that will not spoil or rot, but that will last throughout all eternity.

"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. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other." (Galatians 5:22-26 NIV)

Notice as a final observation that this fruit is not having an enormous youth ministry, a packed church service, or a well-oiled and refined worship team that plays flawlessly every week. This fruit is fruit of the heart. This is the fruit that begins at home when we kneel down in prayer, and may not be seen for miles and miles as if it were a fig tree in leaf. But let me encourage us all today: don't settle for less. Don't just be content to LOOK righteous from a distance; allow Jesus to work in your heart, and BE righteous where it really counts, so that when people come near to get a closer look, they don't see a tree barren of fruit; they see a tree full of life and fruit of the Spirit, one grounded in the Word, sustained by the Living Water, and nurtured by the Gardener of our Souls.

"Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does he prospers." (Psalm 1:1-3 NIV)

Blessings in Christ All,
Andrew