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GLEANINGS FROM THE WORD
Encountering an extraordinary God in ordinary life
Issue #298
Fruit From Stones
I looked at the huge boulder in amazement. It was the size of a semi trailer, and made of stone so hard that it would take me years to break it up using a sledgehammer, yet growing in the middle of it was a chokecherry bush.
What made that possible?
The hardest stone can be worn down and become a place of fertile soil over time. Wind wears away at the surface, slowly grinding it. Rain pounds away at it. A drop of water seeps into a crevice freezes and expands.
Moss and lichens attach and slowly begin to break down the rock. A seed lands in the moss, grows and dies. The decaying plant leaves a little spot for another seed to take hold and last just a little longer. The cycle continues on and on for years.
It took years, perhaps centuries before that bush could get rooted and have enough soil to sustain life, and bear fruit. Its roots continue to crack the rock, weaken it and continue the process.
Our hearts are like that stone. They are made hard by life or sometimes they start off hard and cold. Slowly the Lord can change them. Moment by small moment, victory by small victory, our hardened hearts can become places where small shoots of life can appear. Soon our hardened hearts have become fertile soil and we are bearing fruit.
When we accept the Lord, the process begins. We can fight His changes or open ourselves up to the maturing process and bear fruit more quickly and abundantly.
For most of us the fruit doesn’t come overnight, there is a lot of hardened heart to be ground, pounded and shaped before it becomes good soil. He is patient; He will take the time it needs to transform our stone hearts into fruit-filled orchards.
I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. It is right for me to feel this way about all of you, since I have you in my heart; for whether I am in chains or defending and confirming the gospel, all of you share in God's grace with me. God can testify how I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus.
And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ--to the glory and praise of God. Philippians 1:3-11 NIV
Until next time, when life seems to grind you down and wear on your heart, rejoice and praise God for the fruit you will bear.
God bless.
Kevin
Has your heart been hardened by life. Do you miss the days or honesty, openness, forgiveness and trust? Have you ever experienced those things? With Jesus, it is possible to restore them or receive them for the first time.
Email me and I’ll share a few Bible verses that explain why a relationship with Jesus is so important and a prayer that will make it possible.
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© 2001 K.F. "Kevin" Corbin
All Rights Reserved
To share your thoughts on this issue of Gleanings, or to share prayer concerns email us at corbin_writer@hotmail.com. At Gleanings, we have a dedicated team of prayer warriors and all prayer concerns are kept strictly confidential.
If you enjoyed this issue of Gleanings From The Word, email it, in its entirety, to a friend. For information on use of Gleanings in your church newsletter or other situations please visit the permissions page on our website http://gleanings.jesusanswers.com
© 2001 K.F. "Kevin" Corbin
All Rights Reserved