Fruit Salad

Philippians 1:10 - 11 . . . "so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ - to the glory and praise of God."

My husband is quite the chef. It is a little known fact that he loves to cook, and while he usually enjoys the manly art of grilling, he has coined quite a delicious recipe for fruit salad. In this salad, he blends just the right mixture of tropical and domestic fruits with just the right amount of sugar, and the results are amazing!

In this passage, Paul refers to the fruit of righteousness. This fruit comes only through a right relationship with Jesus Christ, and brings to our lives a delicious mixture of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, and self-control. The more we grow in our relationship to God, the more these fruits will be evident in our lives.

But, just as with any fruit tree, fruit will not grow in our lives without some rain, without some heat, without some pressure. Sometimes, we may feel we are drowning, but during those times God is really just providing nourishment to our roots. At times, we may feel we just can't take any more of the heat, but God is simply allowing "Vitamin D" to penetrate our spirits. And when the pressures of this life seem to be closing in, we can know with certainty that, if we let Him, God will use that to produce beautiful, delicious, lasting fruit in our lives. And when others see that fruit, and taste of its goodness, they will be drawn to the One who put it there.

Dear Father, Thank You for the nourishment You provide so that I can grow to be more like You. Please let others see Your fruit in my life, so that they will be drawn to You.

Amen