Morning
Time: 12:33 AM PST
"From Me is thy fruit found." --Hosea 14:8
Our fruit is found from our God as to union. The fruit of the branch
is directly traceable to the root. Sever the connection, the branch dies, and no
fruit is produced. By virtue of our union with Christ we bring forth fruit.
Every bunch of grapes have been first in the root, it has passed through the
stem, and flowed through the sap vessels, and fashioned itself externally into
fruit, but it was first in the stem; so also every good work was first in
Christ, and then is brought forth in us. O Christian, prize this precious union
to Christ; for it must be the source of all the fruitfulness which thou canst
hope to know. If thou wert not joined to Jesus Christ, thou wouldst be a barren
bough indeed.
Our fruit comes from God as to spiritual providence. When the
dew-drops fall from heaven, when the cloud looks down from on high, and is about
to distil its liquid treasure, when the bright sun swells the berries of the
cluster, each heavenly boon may whisper to the tree and say, "From me is thy
fruit found." The fruit owes much to the root--that is essential to
fruitfulness--but it owes very much also to external influences. How much we owe
to God's grace-providence! in which He provides us constantly with quickening,
teaching, consolation, strength, or whatever else we want. To this we owe our
all of usefulness or virtue.
Our fruit comes from God as to wise husbandry. The gardener's
sharp-edged knife promotes the fruitfulness of the tree, by thinning the
clusters, and by cutting off superfluous shoots. So is it, Christian, with that
pruning which the Lord gives to thee. "My Father is the husbandman. Every branch
in Me that beareth not fruit He taketh away; and every branch that beareth fruit
He purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit." Since our God is the author
of our spiritual graces, let us give to Him all the glory of our salvation.