Read Through the Bible in a Year 2018 Day 209: Produce Good Fruit

Good morning, everyone!

It rained last night and it's overcast today, and the world looks beautiful. Out here in the desert, it's always amazing when it rains.

Today I read Isaiah 5-8. And in today's reading, the people of Israel are in trouble. Still.

There are many things I could talk about from today's reading, and I encourage you to read it, especially the description of the cherubim, but today I want to focus on this part:

Isaiah 5:3-7

God has planted a vineyard.

"And now, O inhabitants of Jerusalem and men of Judah, judge between Me and My vineyard. What more was there to do for My vineyard that I have not done in it? Why, when I expected it to produce good grapes did it produce worthless ones? So now let Me tell you what I am going to do to My vineyard: I will remove its hedge and it will be consumed; I will break down its wall and it will become trampled ground. I will lay it waste; It will not be pruned or hoed, but briars and thorns will come up. I will also charge the clouds to rain no rain on it." For the vineyard of the LORD of hosts is the house of Israel and the men of Judah His delightful plant. Thus He looked for justice, but behold, bloodshed; for righteousness, but behold, a cry of distress.

That doesn't sound good. Israel is really in trouble again. They've been ignoring God's commandments for generations, serving false gods and committing evil deeds.

But I love the imagery here.

We are God's vineyard. His garden. Each of us is a treasured plant. 

Too much? Bear with me.

We are His garden, and He tends us, pruning back what is contrary to His will and commandments, planting new seeds in us, and watering us with His word, hoping that we will produce good fruit.

We can't just sit in our pew all the time, dull and lifeless. Once God has brought us back to life and spent time and energy in cultivating us, we are meant to produce fruit.

Now, the fruit isn't always the same. After all, apple trees produce apples, and orange trees produce oranges, while rose bushes produce roses.

We all have talents and God will provide an opportunity to use those talents, to produce fruit for Him. Because that's what we are meant to do.

I hope you will join me tomorrow when I read Isaiah 9-12.