When the beauty of the flower fades, then comes the fruit! (July 23, 2013)

When the beauty of the flower fades, then comes the fruit.

A flowering plant produces seeds out of the decay of the blossom. As a gardener I watch for the beauty of the flower to appear on my plants, but the true beauty and miracle comes as the flower fades and dies and the fruit begins its growth. There's wonder in all of the phases of plant growth, but the bean pod or strawberry or cucumber that begins to grow after the decay of the blossom is the evidence I look for to know that the plant has successfully reached maturity.

A plant that has a deep root will draw water and nutrients out of the soil, and the soil with good nutrients will continue to yield the needed food for the plant to produce its fruit. So it is with us....it's not a small matter to be deeply rooted and grounded in good soil that we produce beautiful and lasting fruit for Him.

Our growth process has to be continuous-if we cut off the water of the Word or pull up the root from good ground, the plant begins the dieing process.

Keep the branch in good soil, dear friends, and stay in the water of the Word! His word is life to our bodies and health to our bones. Don't allow the plant of your soul to become deformed, only having a form of Godliness but denying His power, by starving it of nutrients from good soil. Let the Master Gardener trim your dead branches so that new growth may come-be rid of the dead works of the flesh and a heart that searches for simple, fleshly pleasures.

Joh 15:4-5 Dwell in Me, and I will dwell in you. [Live in Me, and I will live in you.] Just as no branch can bear fruit of itself without abiding in (being vitally united to) the vine, neither can you bear fruit unless you abide in Me. I am the Vine; you are the branches. Whoever lives in Me and I in him bears much (abundant) fruit. However, apart from Me [cut off from vital union with Me] you can do nothing.

All for His glory!