God, in speaking to the prophet in Ezekiel 2:8 said, “…hear what I say to you…open your mouth and eat what I give you.” A message that was not only good for Ezekiel, but also for us today. How will we respond to God’s voice, will we be rebellious like the house of Israel in […]
Galatians 6:7-9 brings us a clear message using an illustration from the field of agriculture. As in agriculture you plant and cultivate the crop you want to grow and harvest, so it is with our spiritual life; the message in these verses clearly warn us against living to gratify those inherently corrupted works of the […]
Vineyards and the growing of grapes were a very important part of Israeli culture, with grapes and grape products being important commodities in their economy, the vine also being a symbol of peace and prosperity. The people thus being very familiar with viticulture and its value in their lives, God used it to describe them […]
A vine without branches does not produce fruit; neither does a branch produce a harvest without a vine! This is the backdrop Jesus used in John 15:1-8 to teach His disciples about their relationship with Him. In verses 5, 8 He makes it very clear, “I am the vine, you are the branches…By this My […]
Psalm 23:5 continues “My cup runs over.” When a cup runs over it has been filled to the brim, and receiving more than it needs, or can hold, the excess flows over the side and covers the area around it. As we sit at God’s banquet table it is His plan, desire, and provision for […]
Why does God choose to have this intimate relationship with us, providing for our needs, giving us rest, refreshing, healing, and guiding us in righteous paths? It most certainly is not because we merit or deserve it, for every one of us like David in Psalm 51:5 “was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin…conceived”. […]
A grapevine usually does not grab one’s attention, except when its branches are laden with lush clusters of fruit; it is the fruit that is the main attraction to the vine! However it is the function of the vine to provide the vital sap to the branches producing the fruit. In John 15:1-8 Jesus likens […]
In Isaiah 58 God lays out the details of a fast He has chosen, which entails a lot more than just abstaining from food or some other pleasure and luxury; the fast that meets God’s approval will be followed by deeds of His heart in service and ministry to others! What I see here is […]
“But the fruit of the Spirit is…self-control” Galatians 5:22-23. This fruit has to do especially with sexual activity, but as we learn from other Scriptures like Colossians 3:5-10, it encompasses every area of our life! The Apostle writes in 1 Corinthians 9:27 “But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest…I myself should […]
“But the fruit of the Spirit is…Meekness” KJV (which we are using for today’s meditation). Meek, gentle, humble, lowly all seem to be companions in this fruit. We should never confuse meekness as being weakness, rather as I quote from the Spirit Filled Life Bible; it is “power under control. The person who possesses this […]