If you came into my backyard today, you would say, “What on earth is he doing?” You would see two brightly colored beach umbrellas deployed over the top of my fig tree. Then you would think, What on earth is he doing with a fig tree in Tennessee?” In case you don’t know, fig trees don’t like cold weather so I am in a big battle with winter’s yearly assault. I have a heater under the umbrella and the trunk wrapped in a blanket, so I am doing everything I know to win over the cold. I love the tree because it reminds me of Jesus. In fact, I call the figs it produces, “Jesus Fruit.” Jesus Fruit is important to all of us, I mean the kind He grows in our lives. Love, joy, peace, gentleness, etc. are all fruit for hungry hearts. Like my fig tree, we live in a hostile environment. The world blows the cold winds of hostility on us all the time, so we need Jesus to keep us spiritually warm. The world wants to freeze us out, but the warmth of Heaven can warm any heart. So the battle goes on. I have been warned of seven degrees tomorrow night. With the help of heaven I shall eat figs this summer.
Joh 15:5 "I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.
Mt 21:19 And seeing a fig tree by the road, He came to it and found nothing on it but leaves, and said to it, "Let no fruit grow on you ever again." Immediately the fig tree withered away.
Jas 3:12 Can a fig tree, my brethren, bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Thus no spring yields both salt water and fresh. jfs
James, you are, my dear brother, one-of-a-kind. It's proven yet again by the fact that you even have compassion for your fig tree (and of course the desire to eats figs come summer). When that tree bears fruit, have Mary make me a jar of fig preserves. I haven't had any since my Granny crossed over into Glory.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed figs this morning at breakfast. Figs put a smile in my stomach. From now on when I eat figs I will think of your words and God's words. Figs are sweetness for my body and soul. By-the-way, my jar of figs is almost empty (Hint Hint)
ReplyDeleteNow I'm feeling guilty. Neglecting my poor fig trees, which fare a bit better in GA than TN, but are still probably shivering pretty badly.
ReplyDeleteRegarding the story of Jesus and the fig tree, I shared it with the Haitian kids last year because I saw something in it I had never really noticed before and I think it also really hit home with the Haitians. Jesus was hungry, so he went to the fig tree. When he went to the fig tree and found it empty, what did he pray for? Not figs. I would have been praying "Lord make figs on this tree" but Jesus was more concerned with the Heavenly viewpoint than his belly. He prayed the prayer that needed to be prayed, not the one his body wanted to be prayed.
Sorry for the "sermon." Sometimes I can't help myself. ;-)
A wonderful truth!! dad
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