Ok, so if anyone reads a couple of my posts you might be quick enough to get I am living in Mexico and learning to hables espanol, along with finding many opportunities to share the grace of God and love He has shown me by serving others in His name. One of my challenges I have in learning spanish is that I often speak and mostly write in english, I think in english. I am working on trying to communicate and think more in spanish, but right now it is mostly in class or when I need to in order to communicate (which also serves to be entertaining for others, if not too frustrating.) I am also working to build my vocabulary. I wasn't expecitng to build my english vocabulary while here, but the other day that is just what happened.
I came across a post on another blog, Fire and Hammer, which introduced me to the word "fructifying". The post is a worthy read of a Charles Spurgeon devotional on Isaiah 44:3 - the post can be read on Tim's blog by clicking here. In the devotional, Spurgeon talks of how God's promise in Isaiah 44:3, that He will pour out water on those who are thirsty - thirsty for His righteousness, brings forth life - it enables the promise of fructification, the bearing of fruit. The word fructifiying is used to describe the power of Grace to bring forth fruit. And it isn't just a little effort put forth by God to start the process of bearing fruit ... Spurgeon closes the devotional saying that you shall be like a dry field that is flooded, drenched with the power of God's Grace at work - the dry land shall be springs of water.
Wow. I was given a new word that day and furthermore I was given deeper insight into the power of God's Word and His love for me. This new word, which is a pretty cool word in and of itself, reminded me of my dependency on God - it is through His Grace that I am watered and live a life that brings forth fruit - apart from Him I can do nothing. It reminded me that He is at the beginning of the process, in the middle and at the end - I am just one receiving His Grace that goes to work in me to enable the process. And over the next few days God continued to remind me that He was ready to pour forth water on me by continuing to bring my attention to fructification which reminded me that He is the source. On a walk in the mountains I saw incredible vegetation in various stages of fructification - one amazing one (I will add a picture later) had an amazing fruit, similar to a pineapple, growing on the top side of the tree's branch, right in the middle of anotherwise lifeless branch.
Another day I came across a passage in Numbers, chapter 17, that talks about how God brought forth fruit on Aaron's staff - it was a dead piece of wood which budded, sprang forth leaves, flowers and bore fruit .... fresh ripe almonds. It was dead wood! It had been dead for a while and was dead when it was put in a box, shut away from light and water, but not shut away from the power of God. Did I mention the wood was dead? Hmmmm, kinda like me without Christ ..... dead, useless excpet for mayby throwing in the fire.
And if that wasn't enough, the next day I happened upon a short thin tree stump, one that had been fully pruned back so that it looked like it was just a dead branch stuck in the ground .... except for one small green sprouting branch with two leaves on it. Now I'm not saying that tree was dead, but it sure looked it and I don't have any problem saying God was at work in me coming upon it and His Spirit drawing my attention to what He wanted me to recall. He wanted me to recall that He is the One that gives life, He can and does prune the dead useless parts away, He restores and revives that which will still be used for His Glory and our good and He provides abundantly to meet our needs to be sustained and to grow, bearing fruit thru His fructifying grace.
I will remain in Him and cry out for more of the Living Water to fill me and may He receive the Glory and Praise .... my prayer for you is that you too would know His Grace and be fructified by it as well.
Alex, That was good reading. You blessed me and my heart. God bless you and yours.
ReplyDeleteIt is near Thanksgiving Day here in the U.S. of A. and I guess Mexico does not celebrate it, but I pray you have a good and thankful day every day. Again, God bless you.
T.A.
Thanks Tim, glad to hear you were blessed by it - I still am amazed at that word, love to think about it. It sounds sweet, just like God's grace is sweet to me.
ReplyDeleteAnd no, Thanksgiving Day isn't celebrated here in Mexico, but that won't keep me from giving thanks and looking form some pumpkin or pecan pie. I am planning on giving a short talk with some Christian brother's (in Spanish) about the holiday and the importance of giving thanks, how a special day (or several) can be helpful, but also how God gives us so much to be thankful for we can be every day without want for something to give thanks. Whether we have little or plenty by the world's standards, trials or times of prosperity, all who have Christ are overflowing with a rich bountiful harvest, we only need to look to Him to be sure we are not deceived into thinking otherwise or burdened by things we need not be.