Corona Devo 139
My Papa planted an apple tree in his yard each time a grandchild was born. He planted different varieties, and I can't remember if I was a Macintosh or a Golden Delicious, but I realize now how special it was that Papa celebrated our lives with a fruit-producing tree.
I pray that you and I are producing fruit for Christ in each season of our lives.
Psalm 148 jogged my memory of Papa's fruit trees when I read God's Word today. In it, we are reminded to Let every created thing give praise to the Lord (Psalm 148:5), and God actually mentions fruit trees.
Psalm 148
1 Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord from the heavens! Praise him from the skies!
2 Praise him, all his angels! Praise him, all the armies of heaven!
3 Praise him, sun and moon! Praise him, all you twinkling stars!
4 Praise him, skies above! Praise him, vapors high above the clouds!
5 Let every created thing give praise to the Lord, for he issued his command, and they came into being.
6 He set them in place forever and ever. His decree will never be revoked.
7 Praise the Lord from the earth, you creatures of the ocean depths,
8 fire and hail, snow and clouds, wind and weather that obey him,
9 mountains and all hills, fruit trees and all cedars,
10 wild animals and all livestock, small scurrying animals and birds,
11 kings of the earth and all people, rulers and judges of the earth,
12 young men and young women, old men and children.
13 Let them all praise the name of the Lord. For his name is very great; his glory towers over the earth and heaven!
14 He has made his people strong, honoring his faithful ones—the people of Israel who are close to him. ~Psalm 148:1-14
The Psalm mentions so many areas of creation, from the sun and moon (Psalm 148:3), to the creatures of the oceans depths (Psalm 148:7), to you and me (and all people) Psalm 148:11), and in relation to every thing, God says "Let them all praise the name of the Lord." (Psalm 148:13).
Species are different, animals vary from water creatures to those on land, the weather varies, and certainly you and I have our unique gifts and also differences: but God created all of us and everything. And if we live our entire lives without any purpose, and just one day fall to the ground and rot, then I would argue that we have wasted our purpose and who God created us to be in glorifying Him.
Or we can blossom for God! Grow juicy with His acceptance and forgiveness of us and drip that sweet goodness of God onto others who need a bit of sweetness and God's love in their lives.
We can spend our lives up serving God, in whatever way that applies to the unique variety that God created us to be. If the rest of our days can be lived out by planting other apple seeds (or peach, orange, cherry or lemon--whatever God created you to be) for Christ, then we have succeeded in praising (and honoring) the Lord with our lives.
I would rather be remembered and enjoyed as serving God with all that I was created to be. And if we wrap up our days being one of the delicious apples in a homemade apple pie for Christ (I am using a metaphor here) that serves others, I would count it a privilege. Far better than wasting our days living for only ourselves and then dropping lonely and forlorn to the ground and rotting alone where we sit. God has more for us!
Today let's bear fruit for Him--whatever your flavor! And Let every created thing give praise to the Lord (Psalm 148:5).
Blessings,
sarah
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