The number of letters and messages I’ve received thanking me for my devotional book Daily Prayer and its sequel Daily Prayer 2 daily encourages me to keep on writing new material. Here’s a session from Daily Prayer 2 – inspired by the sight of early spring blossom on the trees – that I hope may speak to you.
Spring blossom
Read
The fruits of the Spirit are love, joy, peace, tolerance, compassion, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-discipline. Nothing can legislate against things like these. Galatians 5:22
Ponder
A sight I look forward to each year is that of spring blossom. Suddenly trees and shrubs that had looked drab and ordinary are transformed into things of beauty. Not only is the blossom special in its own right, but it also promises fruit that, in time, will be harvested; the delicate flowers are the first steps in a process that will hopefully culminate in a rich harvest.
Whenever I read the words of Paul concerning the fruits of the Spirit, I’m acutely aware that the yield I produce is lacking, few if any such fruits being evident in any quantity. No doubt you, likewise, long to be more gentle, patient, loving, kind, understanding, merciful, calm and the like. Sadly, the soil in our lives tends to be infinitely less fertile than it could or should be. That’s part of being human and, as a result, the crop we produce repeatedly falls short. But though we may fail to attain a bumper harvest, with God’s help we can at least show signs of spiritual growth, his Spirit working within us to produce, if not fruit, then blossom, promising more yet to come.
Ask yourself
What in your life prevents the fruits of the Spirit from growing? Do you give the Spirit room to move? Are you trying too hard to produce fruit yourself, forgetting that it is finally God who gives growth?
Pray
Gracious God, forgive the sterility of my discipleship, the barrenness of my faith. I yearn to yield a rich harvest for you, but so often the reality is disappointing, there being little if any real growth for all my protestations of love and loyalty. Grant that, though the fruits of the Spirit may be less evident in my life than they should be, there may at least be blossom, promising a future crop pleasing to you. Though I will always fall short, grant that, by your grace, something of your beauty may be seen in me. Amen.
Remember
Because of this, then, you should do everything in your power to reinforce your faith with goodness, and goodness with understanding, and understanding with self-discipline, and self-discipline with perseverance, and perseverance with uprightness, and uprightness with warmth towards one another, and warmth towards one another with love. If you exhibit such qualities, and they multiply within you, they will prevent you from being sterile and unfruitful in terms of your relationship with our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Peter 1:5-8
Close
Nurture my faith, Lord, nourish my discipleship, and grant that in the fullness of time buds may burst into bloom and my life may bear living fruit in your service, testifying to your transforming love and redeeming grace. Amen.