The Patient Husbandman
Many of Christ’s illustrations become clearer to me as I work in the garden. When the garden is blooming and growing rapidly, I often have to plan my week to take full advantage of the flavors of the fruits and vegetables. This spring, my husband began a new project with blueberries. The soil must be carefully balanced in PH for these. Without the balance, the shrubs will make lush leaves, but no fruit. Too much water and the fruit falls off the vines prematurely. Too little water makes the fruit hard and bitter. Our cultivars produce large berries, much larger than those in the wild, but it’s so important to catch them on just the right day. If I wait for perfection, sometimes the critters steal them ahead of me. If I get them too early, the berries are hard and less flavorful. The best harvest for an awesome blueberry pie takes watchfulness, timing and preparation.
Like the berries, a Christian’s spiritual fruit requires water from tears of repentance and intercession and the nourishment of the Word. Our best fruit (our supernatural love for the unlovely, and our peace in times of chaos) comes when we wait to act at the Master’s leadership. The enemy can certainly show up to steal our fruit if we don’t run him off with the spoken Word. In Luke 13:6-9, Jesus told this story:
“A man planted a fig tree in his garden and came again and again to see if there was any fruit on it, but he was always disappointed. Finally, he said to his gardener, ‘I’ve waited three years, and there hasn’t been a single fig! Cut it down. It’s just taking up space in the garden.’ The gardener answered, ‘Sir, give it one more chance. Leave it another year, and I’ll give it special attention and plenty of fertilizer.'”
The gardener’s patience is his most notable characteristic here – he intercedes with the owner to give more time to nurture the fig tree for harvest. He desires to keep working with the stubborn tree and get the conditions right for production. What a picture of the Lord’s love for us! He plants His Word in us and expects fruit, but when we don’t produce right away, He still gives us more chances. I want to do more than just take up space in His orchard. I want to leave a sweet remembrance with those around me. I want to give them a taste of the sweet fellowship of His divine presence in my life. In a clamoring angry generation, Christians have a vital purpose – to demonstrate beauty of spirit, to be available for His use to be sweetness, food and flavor for a dry, hungry world.
LuWana Locke is our GUEST WRITER today. LuWana lives in NW Florida with her husband of 44 years on their farm. LaWana is a Veteran Language Arts Teacher and has been serving the Lord since childhood.
What a beautiful word picture of God’s patience with us.
I’m so thankful for His patience with my fruit bearing.