Tag: christianity

Christian

A Heavenly Peace

Highlighting Hope

Silent night, holy night
All is calm, and all is bright
Round yon Virgin Mother and Child
Holy infant so tender and mild
Sleep in heavenly peace
Sleep in heavenly peace

We sing this song at Christmas time to worship our King. Our King who left His throne to come and abolish the great wall of separation that exists between God and man because of sin. Jesus came to abolish this great abyss that would have otherwise remained. Jesus came, despite our unworthiness, to bestow His grace, upon grace on and in our lives. We sing in worship of this holy birth!

For those who have been redeemed by Christ, this song has a very profound meaning. There are no amount of penned words that can fully articulate the majesty of Jesus and His holy birth, but bestowed to His children are significant blessings that can readily be identified and these significant blessings are markings of a stark contrast in our lives- before and after His entrance.

Before Christ coming into your life, do you recall a restlessness, a deep longing within your heart, always left unmet? Take a moment to recall the moment when Jesus became your Savior and consider these differences.

Silent night. I’m not sure how silent that night literally was, but this significant birth now silences the voice of our accuser. John 3:17, 18 says, “For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him. Whoever believes in Him is not condemned” Revelation 12:10 says, “Now have come the salvation of and the power of and the kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Christ. For the accuser of our brothers, who accuses them before our God day and night, has been hurled down.” Do you hear the constant sound of accusations in your heart and mind? Look unto this Savior who has been born for you and allow Him to give you your first, true silent night.

Holy Night. No day is as sacred as that first moment God captured your heart and stamped you as ‘His’. The moment that you first began your life in Christ, was certainly a holy moment, and was certainly your first true holy night. This is a holiness that we could not produce on our own, but rather it is one that had to be done for us and on our behalf. Paul addresses the believers in Corinth, as those sanctified in Christ Jesus (1 Cor. 1:2). The word sanctified is a past tense verb, which means to be set apart or declared as holy. This clearly indicates an action needing to be taken on our behalf. We in ourselves, are not holy, but Jesus is holy and in Him, we can be declared holy, and thus allowing us to experience our first, true holy night.

All is Calm, All is Bright. Your once restless heart, your life once lived in darkness, is now filled with a calm, and a light that you had never known or had ever seen before. This new calm is unlike any other calm you’ve ever experienced, because Christ is a new peace on Earth to all people that ultimately brings us peace with God. As Jesus once rebuked a storm when He and His disciples were out at sea by saying, “Peace, be still!” Scripture then tells us that the winds ceased and there was a great calm. A life once filled with chaos can come to a complete halt by Jesus’ resounding call of, “Peace, be still.” That’s what His birth was. His very birth commands a peace over our lives that results in a great calm for our souls to experience daily. A life once full of darkness is now bursting with Christ’s light and therefore, we experience new life. Where there is Light, there is life. “In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. Without light, there is no life” John 1:4, 5 The birth of our Savior ushered in a marvelous light this world so desperately needs.

Heavenly Peace. All of this is a result of a Holy Infant, the Christ child, coming for us. Therefore, we can sleep in a new found peace, a heavenly peace.

Are you experiencing a silent night, a holy night, in Christ? Have you experienced this great calm over your heart and soul? Is there new light shining in your life this day? If not, you can experience these things by looking to the Christ Child, by looking to the Savior of the world, and for the very first time, experience a Heavenly peace here on Earth.

Christian

Don’t Let the Rocks Cry Out!

Highlighting Hope

Are the rocks crying out in your stead? Jesus said that if it’s not our voices ushering out praise to Him, that the rocks will certainly do it. We are told in Luke 19 that as Jesus was entering Jerusalem, the whole multitudes of His disciples began to rejoice and praise God with loud, joy- fulfilled voices as He triumphantly entered that town. Even there, in a glorious moment of being in the physical presence of our Savior, there were those who did not understand the praise of the people. Instead of joining in on the praise, these critics sought to shame and silence God’s worshippers. And what was Jesus’ response to these Pharisees? He told them “I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out.”

The triumphant entry of the Lord Jesus Christ into the life of a believer will undoubtedly result in praise and worship. This new song that you have been given, that results in praise upon praise, is due to a triumphant, grand entrance of Jesus Christ into your life! Many around you may not understand your new song, this song of praise, as well as your desire to sing this new song loudly. Sing it anyway! Sing unto the Lord anyway, and then, kindly tell them why you have a new song that is crying out from you. Jesus is most deserving of our praise, and if it is not us, the rocks will certainly cry out. But were the rocks created to sing? What rock has a soul in need of saving and a voice fashioned by our creator to usher up praise? Not one! But you and I, we were created for praise (Psalm 102:18, Colossians 3:16).  In fact, let us see to it that there is never a need for the rocks to cry out and worship our God in our place.

There will be praise given up to God, but let it be our voices that are singing in bold adoration to the One who has seen us in our worst condition, who took on our sin upon Himself, and defeated sin and death for an underserving people. We serve a God who came to us in order to restore what sin sought to destroy! In spite of our great limitations “to be perfect as He is perfect”, He has made away for us to take on the righteousness of Christ (2 Corinthians 5:21), to become His very own, and then He allows us to call Him, Abba, Father! Yes, this God is worthy our praise!  The triumphant entrance of Jesus will inevitably result in praise! Therefore brother and sister in Christ, lift your voice and let no rock cry out in your stead!

Christian, Encouragement, Inspiration

Choose Joy!

Highlighting Hope

Dear Fellow Believer, do you find yourself presently struggling with a particular sin? Are you tired of having skinned knees from your continuous falling? Walk in God’s grace today and allow Him to help you stand! The joy of the Lord is your strength! Let Him cleanse your wounds and bandage them so that you may be healed!

Nehemiah 8:10 says, “And do not be grieved, for the joy of the LORD is your strength.” Nehemiah was speaking words of comfort to God’s people, who had just heard the Law (the 10 Commandments) being read to them and it left them feeling grieved.  The people were faced with God’s perfect standard for living, and as each line of this law that they were to keep and live by was being read aloud them, the heaviness steadily increased. I imagine those hearing the law being read must have been repeatedly thinking to themselves “broken, broken, broken” and their final thought being, “I’m guilty.”

The hearers of the Law knew they all stood condemned before God.  The Law, God’s standard, revealed this to their hearts and, therefore, they were grieved. In a moment of understandable hopeless, they are then met with words of comfort and an answer! The people were told, “but do not be grieved, for the joy of the LORD is your strength.” God told them, despite your condition, your guilt, you can be supplied with joy, but this joy will come from the LORD, YHWH, and it will be your strength.  A despairing moment is now beaming brightly with an unwavering hope that comes from of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

In John 1:17 it says, “For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus.” This is why we do not have to give way to despair! Friends, the joy of the LORD, Jesus Christ, is our strength!

What is this joy and how does this joy of the LORD become our strength? Joy is not contingent on our circumstances, but rather, it is the constant supplying of a spiritual peace that is completely dependent on the LORD, Jesus Christ and it is a happiness that we can have in Him. The truth is, we experience physical death because of sin, as Romans 6: 23 reminds us, “the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” If we were left with the Law being our only means of justification, it would cause us to be distraught, heavy and living without hope. But praise God, this is not where the story ends! Paul tells us in Romans 3:21, “BUT NOW the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and Prophets bear witness to it- the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for ALL who believe.”  

In Romans 3:20 Paul says, “for no one will be justified in His sight by the works of the law, because the knowledge of sin comes through the law.” God’s law only reveals to us our sin and how we are separated from Him because of our sin. If we read through God’s law this very day, this very hour, we would find ourselves to be much like the people standing before Nehemiah as he read the law to them. In our minds, we too would be saying “broken, broken, broken.” And after hearing every law read, we too would come to the conclusion of “I stand guilty.” However, this very day, we are met with the very same words of comfort and an answer to our problem. Whatever you are wrestling with today in your striving for holiness, let God fight for you! God longs to look at us as well and say, “and do not be grieved, for the joy of the LORD is your strength!”

Have you recently experienced the joy of the Lord being your strength? If so, share in the comment section below!

Christian, Encouragement, Inspiration

Choose Joy!

Highlighting Hope

Dear Fellow Believer, do you find yourself presently struggling with a particular sin? Are you tired of having skinned knees from your continuous falling? Walk in God’s grace today and allow Him to help you stand! The joy of the Lord is your strength! Let Him cleanse your wounds and bandage them so that you may be healed!

Nehemiah 8:10 says, “And do not be grieved, for the joy of the LORD is your strength.” Nehemiah was speaking words of comfort to God’s people, who had just heard the Law (the 10 Commandments) being read to them and it left them feeling grieved.  The people were faced with God’s perfect standard for living, and as each line of this law that they were to keep and live by was being read aloud them, the heaviness steadily increased. I imagine those hearing the law being read must have been repeatedly thinking to themselves “broken, broken, broken” and their final thought being, “I’m guilty.”

The hearers of the Law knew they all stood condemned before God.  The Law, God’s standard, revealed this to their hearts and, therefore, they were grieved. In a moment of understandable hopeless, they are then met with words of comfort and an answer! The people were told, “but do not be grieved, for the joy of the LORD is your strength.” God told them, despite your condition, your guilt, you can be supplied with joy, but this joy will come from the LORD, YEWH, and it will be your strength.  A despairing moment is now beaming brightly with an unwavering hope that comes from of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

In John 1:17 it says, “For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus.” This is why we do not have to give way to despair! Friends, the joy of the LORD, Jesus Christ, is our strength!

What is this joy and how does this joy of the LORD become our strength? Joy is not contingent on our circumstances, but rather, it is the constant supplying of a spiritual peace that is completely dependent on the LORD, Jesus Christ and it is a happiness that we can have in Him. The truth is, we experience physical death because of sin, as Romans 6: 23 reminds us, “the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” If we were left here to gather as the Law being our only means of justification, it would cause us to gather today distraught, heavy and without hope. But praise God, this is not where the story ends! Paul tells us in Romans 3:21, “BUT NOW the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and Prophets bear witness to it- the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for ALL who believe.”  

In Romans 3:20 Paul says, “for no one will be justified in His sight by the works of the law, because the knowledge of sin comes through the law.” God’s law only reveals to us our sin and how we are separated from Him because of our sin. If we read through God’s law this very day, this very hour, we would find ourselves to be much like the people standing before Nehemiah as he read the law to them. In our minds, we too would be saying “broken, broken, broken.” And after hearing every law read, we too would come to the conclusion of “I stand guilty.” However, this very day, we are met with the very same words of comfort and an answer to our problem. Whatever you are wrestling with today in your striving for holiness, let God fight for you! God longs to look at us as well and say, “and do not be grieved, for the joy of the LORD is your strength!”

Have you recently experienced the joy of the Lord being your strength? If so, share in the comment section below!

Christian

A Heavenly Peace

Highlighting Hope

Silent night, holy night
All is calm, and all is bright
Round yon Virgin Mother and Child
Holy infant so tender and mild
Sleep in heavenly peace
Sleep in heavenly peace

We sing this song at Christmas time to worship our King, our King who left His throne to come and abolish the great wall of separation between God and man. Jesus came to abolish this great abyss that would have otherwise remained. Jesus came, despite our unworthiness, to bestow His grace, upon grace on and in our lives. We sing in worship of this holy birth!

For those who have been redeemed by Christ, this song has a very profound meaning. There are no amount of penned words that can fully articulate the majesty of Jesus and His holy birth, but bestowed to His children are significant blessings that can readily be identified and these significant blessings are markings of a stark contrast in our lives- before and after His entrance.

Before Christ coming into your life, do you recall a restlessness, a deep longing within your heart, always left unmet? Take a moment to recall the moment when Jesus became your Savior and consider these differences.

Silent night. I’m not sure how silent that night literally was, but this significant birth now silences the voice of our accuser. John 3:17, 18 says, “For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him. Whoever believes in Him is not condemned” Revelation 12:10 says, “Now have come the salvation of and the power of and the kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Christ. For the accuser of our brothers, who accuses them before our God day and night, has been hurled down.” Do you hear the constant sound of accusations in your heart and mind? Look unto this Savior who has been born for you and allow Him to give you your first, true silent night.

Holy Night. No day is as sacred as that first moment God captured your heart and stamped you as ‘His’. The moment that you first began your life in Christ, was certainly a holy moment, and your first true holy night. This is a holiness that we could not produce on our own, but rather it is one that had to be done for us and on our behalf. Paul addresses the believers in Corinth, as those sanctified in Christ Jesus (1 Cor. 1:2). The word sanctified is a past tense verb, which means to be set apart or declared as holy. This clearly indicates an action needing to be taken on our behalf. We in ourselves, are not holy, but Jesus is holy and in Christ Jesus, we can be declared holy, and thus allowing us to experience our first, true holy night.

All is Calm, All is Bright. Your once restless heart, your life once lived in darkness, is now filled with a calm, and a light that you had never known or had ever seen before. This new calm is unlike any other calm you’ve ever experienced, because Christ is a new peace on Earth to all people that ultimately brings us peace with God. As Jesus once rebuked a storm when He and His disciples were out at sea by saying, “Peace, be still!” Scripture then tells us that the winds ceased and there was a great calm. A life once filled with chaos can come to a complete halt by Jesus’ resounding call of, “Peace, be still.” That’s what His birth was. His very birth commands a peace over our lives that results in a great calm for our souls to experience daily. A life once full of darkness is now bursting with Christ’s light and therefore, we experience new life. Where there is Light, there is life. “In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. Without light, there is no life” John 1:4, 5 The birth of our Savior ushered in a marvelous light this world so desperately needs.

Heavenly Peace. All of this is a result of a Holy Infant, the Christ child, coming for us. Therefore, we can sleep in a new found peace, a heavenly peace.

Are you experiencing a silent night, a holy night in Christ? Have you experienced this great calm over your heart and soul? Is there new light shining in your life this day? If not, you can experience these things by looking to the Christ Child, by looking to the Savior of the world, and for the very first time, experience a Heavenly peace here on Earth.

Christian

It Certainly is a Very Merry Christmas

Highlighting Hope

I recall having a virus when I was young that hit me pretty suddenly and settled in my joints. The excruciating pain in my joints, especially my ankles, made it impossible for me to walk for several days. I was probably in the first or second grade at the time, and the onset of this virus happened while I was at school. Thankfully my mom worked at the school that I attended and she was able to get to me quickly, put me on a rolling chair, then rolled me down the hallway, and out to her car. It’s funny how more than 30 years later I can still remember the crippling pain and my need to be carried.

The holiday season is a time of remembering and gathering with loved ones. For the Christian, its’ main purpose is to celebrate the birth of our Savior, Jesus. This is to be a jovial time of year, and for many, hidden beneath the fixed smile on your face, is a heart that bares grief, hurt, sadness, or pain. The reason for these emotions residing in many hearts is multifaceted, and the holiday season tends to stir up or agitate a grieving heart. I often times have gone to scripture in my pain in order to seek truth, and while I may still find the pain in my heart to be present, I begin to find rest because God’s word carries me, and it can carry you. In our pain, we see a loving Savior who remains present and carries us when we feel as if we can no longer stand, no longer walk.

Grieving friends, friends who feel much sorrow this night, I pray that I might encourage you with God’s word so that you can remember your position before God.

 In Isaiah 49: 15, 16 we read, “Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne? Though she may forget, I will not forget you! See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands; your walls are ever before me.”

You dear friend, are not forgotten by God. While the world seems to move forward, and your pain has you feeling stagnant, you have not been forgotten by our Heavenly Father. You are ever before Him and on the very hand that holds you, you have been engraved. To be permanently remembered and seen by God is a grand truth to behold. This is a love that is greater than our minds can ever comprehend.

Psalm 139 says, “even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast.” Pain has a way of crippling us and making it feel impossible to move forward, but with God as our guide, holding us and guiding us, we have an immeasurable amount of hope to move forward because He is the one who is carrying us through.

This great hope, these great truths that we have to claim and live by this very night are only possible because,  ‘Unto you a child is born, a Savior, and He is Christ, our Lord! He is Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father and Prince of Peace.’ (Luke 2:11, Isaiah 9:6) While pain may be present in your heart this Christmas, worship this Savior who was born for you, who continues to live for you, who intercedes for you, and who continues to carry you! Jesus certainly is the true hope of the world and because of that we can say with certainty that it is a very Merry Christmas.

Christian

Our Wounded Hearts are Best Laid at the Feet of Jesus

Highlighting Hope

One of the verses my daughter  learned at school when she was 5 was, “Hear and increase in learning.” Proverbs 1:5. An abundance of wisdom is found in that little verse, and as I have heard her recite it over and over again, I have been reminded of how important it is to take the time to listen. Here recently, I have made a greater effort in really listening to those around me, and take to heart the stories others share.

A story shared, is piece of someone’s heart that’s being given out and that is something of great value. As I have taken greater strides in listening, I have been able to see how much we really all have in common. We have all known happiness, sorrow, acceptance, rejection, fulfillment, and emptiness…etc; and all of these we have been acquainted with through various life experiences. But in the midst of our difficulties, can we all say that we have experienced true joy and peace?

Hardships do come. The size of the hardships may vary, but they do come, often leaving wounds that require time to heal and a course of treatment. But, how we treat our wounds makes all the difference in how well those wounds heal, and improperly cared for can result in something far worse than what you started with.

Our hearts are deceitful, especially when pain is present, making us more likely to respond to our hardships foolishly. When we are heavy with burdens, God, our Heavenly Father, lovingly extends an invitation to come and give those over to Him (Matthew 11:28). Choosing to obey and follow God’s call to come to Him when our hearts are hurting and our wounds are so deep, results in a great blessing and sets us on the path of true healing.

Regardless of the burden you carry today, regardless of how deep your wounds, we have a God who heals, who extends to us a surpassing peace, blesses us with joy in the storm, and bestows upon us His constant presence in our lives! Our wounded hearts are best cared for when we lay them at the feet of Jesus; and when we lay them there and leave them there, we can be sure that we will experience His healing, His joy, and His peace!

“He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.” Psalm 147:3

Christian

The God of Heaven Will Take You by the Hand

Highlighting Hope

The act of hand holding occurs under various circumstances, but they are rooted in care. You hold the hand of the one who has captured your heart and desire to love forever, you hold the hand of your children when want to ensure their safety as you cross a busy street, you hold the hand of a loved one lying in a hospital bed in hopes to bring them comfort and simply let them feel your presence. The circumstances vary but all are intimately rooted in love and care.

As I read the following verses in Jeremiah, my heart is captivated by the intentional language used to describe how God was leading His people out of Egypt, all while knowing the condition of the hearts of those He was leading.

God recalls the day that He took His people “by the hand.” This was the day God was leading His people out of Egypt, out of a place of bondage. What tremendous love and care we see from God as He cares for a people who have broken His covenant.

But leading them out of a place of bondage was just the beginning. After their exit, they faced a desert place that would require God’s constant love, care, provision and guidance. God did not lead them out of Egypt just abandon them at the gate to fend for themselves the rest of the way. No, our God takes us by the hand.

Wherever you find yourself today, know that in any and every circumstance, the God of heaven and earth is holding your hand! What a beautiful picture of grace and mercy!

Jeremiah 31:31-33

“Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah, [32] not like the covenant that I made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, my covenant that they broke, though I was their husband, declares the LORD. For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the LORD: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people.

Christian

Bearing Fruit in the Bleak of Midwinter

Highlighting Hope 
  Psalm 1:1-3:

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 prospers.

These are some of my favorite verses in scripture. In these verses, I find comfort and I am reminded that I am desperately in need of a source outside of myself to constantly nourish me in order to produce the necessary fruit we are called to bear in every season of life. As I read these verses, a beautiful, tranquil image fills my mind. I imagine the most beautiful, crystal blue stream of water flowing peacefully. From the water’s edge and beyond is vibrant, green grass, and lush, sturdy trees. I imagine this to be a day where the sunshine provides the perfect amount of warmth. I imagine a place that I want to stay and linger. A place of perfect peace.

In a climate such as this, it would be of no surprise to see a nearby apple tree bursting with produce. So many apples fill these branches, that after you’ve had your fair share of picking, there’s still plenty of apples left hanging on the tree to prove that it is still yielding fruit in its season. What I imagine describes the perfect scenario for growth, prosperity, and abundance. Everything is just right and it seems fitting to see fruit growing from the tree.

But, what if the scenario is nothing like what has just been described? In fact, these verses never give the description that I tend to imagine in my mind’s eye as I read them. What if we are a tree planted by the stream of water but the season is in the bleak of winter? Maybe the climate is bitterly cold and the sky is a dreary grey. What if in those conditions, you were to look down stream and see in the midst of the all the grey and bitter surroundings, this same apple tree, still bursting with produce, bursting with fruit that’s good to eat. Any passerby would stop to gaze at a tree that is still producing fruit in unlikely circumstances. Anyone passing by would have to stop to look at the fruit that should not be present and wonder how it’s possible. One might even cave to the yearning to pick an apple off of that tree just to see if it’s any good, to see if it’s legit.

What we see here is a change in the circumstances and seasons. However, the one thing has remained the same, is the source that is still continuously supplying the tree. This source, the stream, is STILL present and it STILL continues to flow and supply all that is needed in every season, and thus, allowing the tree to bear much fruit in unlikely circumstances.

 In these verses, I’m reminded that our fruitfulness relies completely on the stream. Without the stream, that tree would not bear fruit, even if the circumstances surrounding it are favorable for it to do so. Jesus tells us in John 7:38, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him.”

I don’t know all of my readers. Nor do I know what season of life you may be finding yourself in today, but I do know Jesus, and from Him flows a continuous supply of living water! This living water will do more than sustain you. This living water will allow you to be fruitful, even in the bleak of midwinter.  So, I implore you to draw near to this stream of living water. Allow Jesus’ loving, faithful, and reliable supply to flow from you. Draw near to this place. Stay and linger, and you will find that it is a place of perfect peace.

“You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit- fruit that will last”
 John 15:16

Christian

Bearing Fruit in the Bleak of Midwinter

Highlighting Hope 
  Psalm 1:1-3:

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 prospers.

These are some of my favorite verses in scripture. In these verses, I find comfort and I am reminded that I am desperately in need of a source outside of myself to constantly nourish me in order to produce the necessary fruit we are called to bear in every season of life. As I read these verses, a beautiful, tranquil image fills my mind. I imagine the most beautiful, crystal blue stream of water flowing peacefully. From the water’s edge and beyond is vibrant, green grass, and lush, sturdy trees. I imagine this to be a day where the sunshine provides the perfect amount of warmth. I imagine a place that I want to stay and linger. A place of perfect peace.

In a climate such as this, it would be of no surprise to see a nearby apple tree bursting with produce. So many apples fill these branches, that after you’ve had your fair share of picking, there’s still plenty of apples left hanging on the tree to prove that it is still yielding fruit in its season. What I imagine describes the perfect scenario for growth, prosperity, and abundance. Everything is just right and it seems fitting to see fruit growing from the tree.

But, what if the scenario is nothing like what has just been described? In fact, these verses never give the description that I tend to imagine in my mind’s eye as I read them. What if we are a tree planted by the stream of water but the season is in the bleak of winter? Maybe the climate is bitterly cold and the sky is a dreary grey. What if in those conditions, you were to look down stream and see in the midst of the all the grey and bitter surroundings, this same apple tree, still bursting with produce, bursting with fruit that’s good to eat. Any passerby would stop to gaze at a tree that is still producing fruit in unlikely circumstances. Anyone passing by would have to stop to look at the fruit that should not be present and wonder how it’s possible. One might even cave to the yearning to pick an apple off of that tree just to see if it’s any good, to see if it’s legit.

What we see here is a change in the circumstances and seasons. However, the one thing has remained the same, is the source that is still continuously supplying the tree. This source, the stream, is STILL present and it STILL continues to flow and supply all that is needed in every season, and thus, allowing the tree to bear much fruit in unlikely circumstances.

 In these verses, I’m reminded that our fruitfulness relies completely on the stream. Without the stream, that tree would not bear fruit, even if the circumstances surrounding it are favorable for it to do so. Jesus tells us in John 7:38, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him.”

I don’t know all of my readers. Nor do I know what season of life you may be finding yourself in today, but I do know Jesus, and from Him flows a continuous supply of living water! This living water will do more than sustain you. This living water will allow you to be fruitful, even in the bleak of midwinter.  So, I implore you to draw near to this stream of living water. Allow Jesus’ loving, faithful, and reliable supply to flow from you. Draw near to this place. Stay and linger, and you will find that it is a place of perfect peace.

“You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit- fruit that will last”
 John 15:16