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Has it ever occurred to you that God is focused on profit like any wise business person? He wants His investments to be productive and thus fruitful and He expects to reap something good from them all.
In Luke 13, Jesus shared the Parable of the Fig Tree. In it, He pointed out that the owner of a farm looked at a fig tree, then complained to his caretaker because it had borne no fruit for three years in a row. He demanded that it be cut down so it stops using up the soil. The caretaker, however, pleaded, saying he'd fertilize the three and that if it remained barren in a year, then he'd get rid of it (Luke 13:6-9).
You and I are the fig trees the Vineyard Owner was inspecting. The Vineyard Owner in the story represents the Lord, and the Caretaker is Jesus. It is easy to forget, what with our busy lives, that God is checking on the trees in His vineyard to see whether or not they are producing fruit for Him.
If they aren't, then like any other wise farmer, those trees hold no value and should not take up the soil, sun, water, and care that are spent on them. Another, more productive tree would do better to receive those benefits.
The realities of life must not make us forget that we, believers, are the trees in God's vineyard. It is our responsibility and should be our very nature to produce fruits that are pleasing to our Owner. If not, then why are we taking up valuable space that could benefit another believer who would produce more returns for the Lord?
Thank God for Jesus, who, just like the Caretaker in the parable, is interceding on our behalf when we aren't producing fruit. He gets us more chances to do what the Lord desires, giving us more time to get it together and produce the fruit that will make us profitable and thus valuable to God.
We should not forget that with trees, time is a crucial factor. Think about it, trees blossom and bloom with the seasons. When a tree fails to produce in its season, there's a long wait to see if it will bring forth fruit again. Our fruitfulness is also impacted by time. If we miss our season to produce, there is a great likelihood we might have to wait a long while for another chance to be profitable.
Time is a limited resource, so we must be prepared for when the Vineyard Owner shows up to inspect us for profitability. We truly do not know when that day could be, and we don't want to be the tree that stands there, barren in a field of productive trees. Remember, Jesus once cursed a fig tree that was barren during a season when it should have been fruitful (Matthew 21:19). The tree shriveled and died. That shall not be our portion, IJMN, Amen.
As you wait for fellowship at 12 Noon EST, consider reading the following previous P&P messages:
