There are principles in God’s Kingdom. They are rules that dictate how life in the Kingdom operates. Think of a mathematical rule: a2 + b2 = c2 It works. Every single time. Not all that into math? Me either. Here’s a life rule for example: If we eat more calories than we burn, we gain weight. Vice versa, if we eat less calories than we burn, we lose weight. Make sense? One Kingdom principle Jesus taught is this: When we put the Kingdom of God first, He takes care of all our needs (Matt. 6:31-33). Like the pythagorean theorem, I don’t have to understand how it works to know that it just works. (Praise Jesus for that!) There’s another Kingdom principle I’ve been mulling over for quite some time now: When we are rooted in trust in the Lord (not in ourselves), our lives will never fail to bear fruit. Fruit is what others "taste" and experience God’s goodness. Jesus made it very clear: the Father is looking for fruit. In fact, it was for this very reason that He chose us (Jn. 15). But the fruit production is not our part— it's His. Our job is to stay rooted in Him. Jeremiah 17 (one of my favorite chapters in the whole Bible) says, “Blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him. They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit” (Jer. 17:7-8, emphasis added). I used to read that last line of Jeremiah 17 and take it to mean that if I’m truly rooted in Christ, I should always be producing. Maybe you’ve felt that way too. We (people) are really good at adding demands on ourselves that God never really asked for. (Just take the Pharisees for example.) One day, on a walk to the nearby lake, I was lamenting to God about how fruitless I felt during that time, and the guilt I carried because of it. As I walked and prayed, I gazed at the towering trees. It was winter; they were barren. Or at least they looked barren. Inside I knew there was life getting ready to burst forth in due time. It was then I realized, with the Holy Spirit’s help, the error of my mindset. He connected a natural principle with a Kingdom principle to reveal a truth I almost missed: Trees don’t bear fruit in every season. But they do bear fruit in their season. "Trees don't bear fruit in every season. |
A little about me...Hi, I'm Katie! Wife to Craig, mom of three, author, writer, Rooted Moms founder, Jesus-follower, Bible teacher, and coffee enthusiast. Follow me as I follow Christ and share my heart throughout the journey. Archives
December 2022
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