First Fruits

Posted: 20 Oct 2009 09:01 PM PDT Recently I went apple picking. The trees were baring forth their first fruits and they were so heavy with sweet, juicy, crisp apples. I plucked one off of its branch and bit into its snappy goodness. Yum, it was so delicious causing me to enjoy every delectable bite satisfying my belly and leaving me with the desire to want more. I took notice how the apple orchard draws flocks of people to partake of its delicious fruit. Also it is easy to see the difference between a good apple and a bad one. The bad apples fall to the ground and rot, the good apples provide life-giving nutrients. With this visual said; when I was at our recent GLUC conference I couldn’t help but see the expressions of joy and happiness that was upon our Sisters faces. Why are they so happy? After all it is work which takes hours of prayer and supplication. It takes effort, motivation, desire, dedication, studying, organization, charity, humbleness, service to one another, etc… In comparison to our spiritual life, we read in the scriptures;

In Col 2; 6, 7: “As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him; rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving.” ♥

As a tree rooted and grounded, established in faith and being

taught by his word we abound in thanksgiving. This is the joy and happiness I saw. In Gal 5; 25, “If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.” ♥

This is the growth ~ nourishment ~ walking in the Spirit. In James 1; 18,

“Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth that we should be a kind of first-fruits of his creatures.” ♥

Every good gift and perfect gift are from above. By His will and the

word of truth, it makes us a kind of first fruits, we are like unto Him. “Cream of the crop” In Gal 5; 13 “Ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another.” ♥

This is why. “Love”

In Gal 5: 22 “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance; against such there is no law.” ♥ This is the sweet fruit I enjoyed at Gen LC Conference. I partook of it and consumed its goodness satisfying and edifying my soul. “It was delicious to me!” Praise God, he is alive and working in his fruitful vineyard. Others will see its goodness and will flock to it.