Rooted and Fruited!!

During this extra time home we’ve had of late, there has been opportunity to get a head start on some of the outside chores (in between the rain showers). I won’t lie, this girl has thoroughly enjoyed playing in the dirt the last couple of weeks, when I can. I have pulled weeds and watched things sprout and come out in my flower beds and pots. I LOVE IT! How can you NOT love Spring and all the new growth and color that just SPRINGS FORTH from the Earth?! What a magnificent creation He has given us!

We have also had a chance to start preparing our raised bed garden for planting this year. We add things to the beds over the winter – vegetable scraps, leaves, sawdust, straw, etc. And this time of year we usually go through and add some peat moss, compost and some more soil to the top and then mix it all up good. That seems to help keep the soil in the beds from getting so hard and working it all up helps the plants do better.

A big part of the reason we work up the soil and add more organic matter and nutrients is to help the plants establish a strong root system. Any gardener knows that if you don’t have a good root system pulling in good nutrients for the plant, then you aren’t going to have a strong plant. And if you don’t have a good strong healthy plant then – you guessed it – no “fruit.” Obviously, I’m not growing a lot of fruit in my vegetable garden, (one of these days a strawberry bed is going to happen!) but the veggies that we harvest are the fruits of our labor.

If you think about it, gardening is a good lesson in walking with God. If you don’t have a firm foundation in the Word of God – if you don’t spend time in study and prayer – you can’t grow. Basically, just like my garden, you gotta have good roots that take in food and nourishment for your soul, before you can produce good fruit. Y’all, we are called to be ROOTED AND FRUITED!

Jeremiah 17:8 ESV    ‘He is like a tree planted by water, that sends out its roots by the stream, and does not fear when heat comes, for its leaves remain green, and is not anxious in the year of drought, for it does not cease to bear fruit.”

Then, when we have good, strong roots and we are producing beautiful, healthy fruit, we use it to feed others. Jesus said if we love him, we will feed His sheep.

John 21:17 NIV    The third time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?”
Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, “Do you love me?” He said, “Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you.”
Jesus said, “Feed my sheep.”

Part of being a Christian is TELLING FOLKS about it! We aren’t supposed to just keep it to ourselves. We are supposed to be WITNESSES. We are supposed to tell the people around us what God has done in our lives! That’s part of our fruit. We are assigned to tell, to witness, to share, to do the work of Christ, and to live a life worthy of the gospel. That’s how you feed His sheep. That’s what you do with your fruit.

I know, especially during these days of quarantine and social distancing, that it’s harder to interact with people. But thankfully we live in a world of advanced technology that allow us to be even more creative in reaching out to our friends and neighbors. While we are home is a great time to be in the Word and on our knees in prayer, growing our roots. And it’s also when our friends and family need us to reach out to them more than ever because they may be feeling alone and isolated.

So resolve this week that you are going to be safe! Be well! Be in the Word! Be in Prayer! Be about your Father’s business! And be #RootedAndFruited !!!

2 Timothy 2:15 NIV
Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.

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