11 And God said, “Let the earth sprout vegetation, plants[a] yielding seed, and fruit trees bearing fruit in which is their seed, each according to its kind, on the earth.” And it was so. 12 The earth brought forth vegetation, plants yielding seed according to their own kinds, and trees bearing fruit in which is their seed, each according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. 13 And there was evening and there was morning, the third day.
After modelling the foundations of our soul God calls fruit to spring forth from it and cover it. This is like the fruits of the spirit that I've read about. He creates a greenhouse within us, and then He plants the first seeds of his love and life, ready for His spirit to nurture them and guide us in how to nurture them. It is the next part or the next step in the process of us being recreated. Equally as beautiful and vital as the others.
We are told in the NT that each tree produces fruit according to its own kind. I know I have sometimes been blinded, or have blinded myself into believing that a rogue piece of fruit came from a very different tree. Like a rotten apple being plucked from a tree that promised ripe and juicy ones. I have looked at situations and marvelled "Why did this tree produce such foul fruit in my hands? There must be something wrong with the tree!"
But we aren't to look at what God has given us and blame him. What I was tending to was sin, only I name and dressed it up in terms of 'good'. And how badly I wanted the fruit of that labour to be something I could present to God and say 'Look at this!'. Something that I could then seed and replant again and again until I had a whole orchard. Instead the fruit that grew was a weed that threatened to kill and override the gospel, the truth. God gave me the gardening handbook but I chose not to read it. I wanted to believe that this was the right plant. I read my own manual about how to care for this Garden of Eden within myself. Duh! God's garden requires God's instruction. And I definitely want to be His.
However ,when we do tread carefully, and seek out the weeds of our soul, and discern between the good and the bad plants, the fruit does ripen into exactly what God said it would.
How often do I look at my own fruit and marvel at how it got there? I tell myself 'But I didn't do anything wrong! This is your garden God - you let it grow!'. I was trying to be gracious, generous, loving, trusting in God. Well check again dear - the fruit of the Spirit comes from the Lord alone and His love sprouts no evil. No, I was being self-righteous, greedy, selfish and doubting God.
But God's not walking out on me, not yet and not ever. Because there's a greater one at work than myself in this garden and its through Him and by Him that I know God will create a sweet place where life bursts forth and produces all sorts of fruit. I am so grateful for the work He does in us, and the discipline he provides to train us. I pray that I do not grow lax or indifferent to the overgrown tangled messy corners of my soul where the weeds set deep and stubborn roots. I pray for the discernment, courage, strength and motivation to see a bad tree for what it is and that through Jesus I can rip it out at the roots. Create in me a garden that glorifies you Lord and produces the fruit of your Spirit!
Monday 17 March 2014
Genesis 1:9-10
9 And God said, “Let the waters under the heavens be gathered together into one place, and let the dry land appear.” And it was so. 10 God called the dry land Earth, and the waters that were gathered together he called Seas. And God saw that it was good.
My journal excerpt for this begins:
"Lord trying to place the cross over this and see a connection is difficult. Its also 5.50am and I'm in Doha airport..." So I apologise in advance for this one coming out with more gobbledegook than usual.
What we've seen so far is that the creation of the world isn't just some distant, long ago event that doesn't really relate to us today, or relate to the Christian faith in the modern age. We've seen that the creation of the world can reflect the recreation of man when we choose to submit to Christ as our Lord and Saviour. You said 'Let there be light' and there was. In the same way you ignite your light in us, without which we are only darkness and Your spirit is an external being. We have no choice in this matter, it is purely Your will, Your breath, Your word.
Then we saw the connection between the way you created the sky, a frame for the light, and how you recreate our soul, striking in new colours and striking out the old. So how does the creation of land resound with all this?
Its hard to trace a connection God, but when I look at these verses, I think they echo the cross and the work achieved in Jesus' crucifixion in a few ways.
Firstly, we are told in the Psalm 18 how the LORD is our rock. As the song sings out "Christ the Lord, Cornerstone!" God has given us steady ground to stand on. He reveals the land by drawing back the waters. He reveals himself to us and as we kneel to him we suddenly are standing on a ground more solid than we've ever known. It makes me think of us being in a boat, out at sea in a ferocious storm. But then Christ appears and suddenly we're no longer tossed to and fro by the waves (Ephesians 4:14). Christ is our rock, he is our land.
Secondly, God recreates our land, metaphorically. Before God opens our eyes and enters our hearts we are like a barren land, inhospitable, dark and dangerous. Full of sin and unfit for God to dwell in. We are dead, but God is light and love and life and creates the foundations for Him to set up camp in our souls. This links in with how we were made from the earth. We are dust that God takes and breathes into to bring about something far more beautiful.
The idea of us being land, good land for God's dwelling also resonates with Jesus' parables about the four souls. This formation of new land within us is the next step after God grants us new light and recolours our sky. And it is completely necessary: we need to be good land in order for the gospel to take seed and grow in our heart. It is my prayer that God works this soil not to be that which is full of rocks, or lets weeds overwhelm it. But that through His grace and power I might become the best I can be this side of heaven.
My journal excerpt for this begins:
"Lord trying to place the cross over this and see a connection is difficult. Its also 5.50am and I'm in Doha airport..." So I apologise in advance for this one coming out with more gobbledegook than usual.
What we've seen so far is that the creation of the world isn't just some distant, long ago event that doesn't really relate to us today, or relate to the Christian faith in the modern age. We've seen that the creation of the world can reflect the recreation of man when we choose to submit to Christ as our Lord and Saviour. You said 'Let there be light' and there was. In the same way you ignite your light in us, without which we are only darkness and Your spirit is an external being. We have no choice in this matter, it is purely Your will, Your breath, Your word.
Then we saw the connection between the way you created the sky, a frame for the light, and how you recreate our soul, striking in new colours and striking out the old. So how does the creation of land resound with all this?
Its hard to trace a connection God, but when I look at these verses, I think they echo the cross and the work achieved in Jesus' crucifixion in a few ways.
Firstly, we are told in the Psalm 18 how the LORD is our rock. As the song sings out "Christ the Lord, Cornerstone!" God has given us steady ground to stand on. He reveals the land by drawing back the waters. He reveals himself to us and as we kneel to him we suddenly are standing on a ground more solid than we've ever known. It makes me think of us being in a boat, out at sea in a ferocious storm. But then Christ appears and suddenly we're no longer tossed to and fro by the waves (Ephesians 4:14). Christ is our rock, he is our land.
Secondly, God recreates our land, metaphorically. Before God opens our eyes and enters our hearts we are like a barren land, inhospitable, dark and dangerous. Full of sin and unfit for God to dwell in. We are dead, but God is light and love and life and creates the foundations for Him to set up camp in our souls. This links in with how we were made from the earth. We are dust that God takes and breathes into to bring about something far more beautiful.
The idea of us being land, good land for God's dwelling also resonates with Jesus' parables about the four souls. This formation of new land within us is the next step after God grants us new light and recolours our sky. And it is completely necessary: we need to be good land in order for the gospel to take seed and grow in our heart. It is my prayer that God works this soil not to be that which is full of rocks, or lets weeds overwhelm it. But that through His grace and power I might become the best I can be this side of heaven.
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