Bear Fruit With Patience

Pause:

Before you start reading this devotional, take a moment to stop what you’re doing, slow down and focus on Jesus.

Pray and ask him to open your eyes to see as you read the Scriptures, and to open your ears to hear as you wait on the leading of the Spirit.

Read:

Luke 8:14-15 (ESV)

‘And as for what fell among the thorns, they are those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by the cares and riches and pleasures of life, and their fruit does not mature. As for that in the good soil, they are those who, hearing the word, hold it fast in an honest and good heart, and bear fruit with patience.’

Going Deeper:

Sometimes I really struggle with being patient. How about you? I bet there are areas in all our lives where we feel impatient at times. For example, simple things, like waiting in the grocery line, and big things, like getting married/having kids one day. I often feel impatient about what is coming in the future, wishing that things would hurry up and just happen already, or that certain milestones would finally come. I’m also probably not alone in feeling a little impatient with this pandemic too!

In Luke chapter 8 we read Jesus’ words about the parable of the sower. Feel free to jump to back up to verse 4 for the full parable. His final words on the ‘good soil’ have been ringing in my ears for the last week. He says of those with ‘good soil’, after hearing the Word of God they ‘hold it fast in an honest and good heart, and bear fruit with patience.’ For all the gardeners out there, you know that the fruitful growth of anything in the garden takes many different variables. We could spend a whole sermon on the ‘good soil’ but in this devotional I’m going to focus on the final stage, the production of fruit.

So consider this. You have just heard God’s word proclaimed, perhaps through a sermon, or through a personal time reading the Word, or even through the encouraging words of a friend. The ‘seed’, that is, God’s word roots itself in our heart, mind and soul and starts to germinate. We ruminate on the words, we ponder its meaning, we think of God’s love for us, we marvel at the sacrifice of Jesus. Now where does the fruit come in?

If we think of fruit in the bible, you’ll probably think of Galatians 5:22 – 23, the Fruit of the Spirit. This being ‘love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control’. Essentially this is a list of evidence of the Holy Spirit at work in our lives. Left to our own devices we may find the space in our heart to be kind, or to be peaceful, but if we are really honest with ourselves, these things are almost impossible without the Holy Spirit working in our life.

So back to Jesus’ words about bearing fruit. He says to do so with patience. For gentleness towards others to be an outworking of my heart, it takes patience. Ironically even patience takes patience to develop! As we hear the words of or Saviour, the Spirit within us desires to be more like Christ, and what Jesus himself is saying, this doesn’t just happen.

Back to the garden and a fun fact, if you are growing an avocado tree from a seed, it can take anywhere from five to 13 years before the tree is mature enough to bear fruit! Looking back in my walk with Jesus there are definitely things that have taken more than five years to develop!

Amidst our struggling to be self-controlled, to be loving, to be kind, Jesus is abounding in grace. He knows our heart, he knows our bad habits, he knows our intentions, he also knows that we will fail, and try again, and fail and try again. He is gracious and patient with us though it all. He will never, ever lose his patience with us. He is our loving Father.

What are you feeling impatient about today? This very moment? Jesus firstly asks you to bring it to him. Talk to him about it. He wants to hear your frustrations and your thoughts. (Check out Psalm 13, beautiful example of this). Jesus then also reminds you to be patient with growth. The fruit will come. Root yourself in him, abide in him. Bear fruit with patience.

Pray:

Respond to God in prayer by speaking to Him about what stood out to you from this passage this morning.

Listen:

What is the Holy Spirit saying to you this morning?

Apply:

What are you going to do in response to what God is saying to you from the text and by the Spirit?