It’s just like yesterday that we just greeted ourselves, “Happy new year.” Now, it is December again and another new year is knocking at our doors. How time flies!
Few years back, at the beginning of that year when everybody was celebrating witnessing another year and congratulating one another wishing themselves and the people around them the best in the new year, God took me to the book of Luke and exposed a misery to me about the life of a man as it relates to God. I became so heavy in my heart; and I was like God, this is dangerous! That’s to say the least.
And since I am the writing type, I quickly resolved that that was an inspiration for another classic from Omotoso Kayode. I did not intensively apply it to my life and I made no effort to preach it on any pulpit either even if that could have helped me in some ways to practice what I preach. The only person that got to know about this did not really get the crux of the matter, I think! And very soon, the story became like that of the seeds that fell among the thorns, although germinated and grew but the affairs of this world outgrew it and shocked life out of the poor plant. What a pity! I was soon overwhelmed by activities in college and duties at work while my new year gift suffered an utter neglect.
Thank God for God though, _His mercies are always unfathomable. As the year is about coming to a close, He reminded me again the message that was to guide me through the year 2011 that I chose to push behind me. His word is life and it is true for all seasons, just follow me as we follow His lead and take a journey through these four (4) verses of the Scriptures and their importance to man as a creature of God.
Before we go ahead, please, prayerfully and carefully read the following passage as if you have never read it before. May God open our eyes to the misery behind His word in Jesus name. (Amen).
Luke 13:6-9. He spake also this parable; A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard; and he came and sought fruit thereon, and found none. Then said he unto the dresser of his vineyard, Behold, these three years I come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and find none: cut it down; why cumbereth it the ground? And he answering said unto him, Lord, let it alone this year also, till I shall dig about it, and dung it: And if it bear fruit, well: and if not, then after that thou shalt cut it down.
The man actually planted so many things in the vineyard of which the fig tree was just one. He chose to include the fig tree among the numerous plants in the vineyard because he would have a need for the use of its fruits thereof. And probably because he wasn’t as skilled a vinedresser himself, he invested a huge sum in hiring a professional gardener and provided him with every resources required for an effective and efficient service delivery in the vineyard. This, he did basically to get optimal yield from the vineyard at each harvest.
The very first year he came, the proceeds from the vineyard did not include the fig but he did not bother himself about that giving excuse for the unproductivity of the fig tree and probably some other plants in the first year. All plants do not grow at the same rate and given the same conditions, they would not produce yield at the same rate.
The second harvest came and there was a general increase in harvest. The husbandman was rather very happy and had thought that if the harvest could be this much this year, he would therefore have plenty of figs to eat. But disappointingly, the harvest did not still include any fig. The man questioned himself, “What is happening, do I still have to give the fig tree a little more time?” And he retorted, “I will be patient a little more while.”
His wrath was rather ignited at the third harvest when he completely ran out of patience with the unproductive fig tree and this time, he queried the vinedresser, “Come young man, I know you are good at what you do but for this fig tree, it has been redundantly unproductive for three (3) good years, what do you think the problem is?” The dresser was rather speechless finding no reason for the unfortunate condition of the fig tree. And the husbandman issued his verdict, “Please, have it cut down, I have no interest in wasting my hard-earned resources on such a white elephant project of a plant.” The dresser however quickly pleaded, “Sir, I know you had been patient for far too long but please tamper justice with mercy. Please Sir, spare it one more harvest that I may put in some extra more effort in helping the fig tree to produce fruits but if it still did not bring forth fruits then, I will execute your judgment.” “Okay, give it a try.” Said the husbandman.
It was rather unfortunate that the fig tree had actually exhausted its time limit without anything to show for it. And if not for the gardener that pleaded for mercy on its behalf, it wouldn’t have had the rare privilege of an extra time.
The story of the fig tree is just true for most of us, humans, today. We are the fig tree planted by the husbandman God, in the vineyard earth. We are meant to bear fruits and until we do, we cannot but expect the same kind of verdict that came through to the fig tree. Are you bearing fruits?
God did not create you just for the fun of it. He did not create you because you needed to be created or just as anything that has weight and occupy space. God expended so much energy in molding you because He had an intention – you are a supernatural candidate with a divine mandate. You were created to have dominion (Gen 1:26-28) and saved to bear fruits (Matt 28:19-20; John 15:2-4).
Your are a designer product – so much resources went into both your creation and salvation. It cost God His very breath to form you into a living being and His only begotten Son to save your soul from eternal death (John 3:16). You were not just made but God demanded the assistance of the host of Heaven in fearfully and wonderfully creating you. It did not just stop at that, He still came in the form of a man to die for your sin that you may be His forever. He’s got a special interest in you, isn’t He?
God invested so much in your creation and salvation so that you can fulfill a divine purpose through which He can derive pleasure in you. You are on a mission to fulfill a vision and until the mission is accomplished, God cannot be pleased with you – you stand a chance of being cut off. The encounter of Jesus Christ with a fig tree in Matt 21:19-20 goes far more to tell us the intensity of the wrath of God against unproductivity in His children. Some of us are yet like this other fig tree which had no single fruit but very beautiful and radiant green leaves. We have forsaken our God-given assignment and occupied ourselves with the pleasures of this life. If you are in this category of the second fig tree, my brethren, you stand a chance of being cursed by God. And if you are delivered a curse package by God, to whom will you run for deliverance?
However, the new year is another opportunity (and for some people, the last chance) to right the wrongs committed over the years and prove God right. Sooner than we might expect, the judgment of God is coming. Beware!
Brethren, I do not wish to scare you but rather to remind you that you are on an assignment here on earth which is time bound and so requires haste while the hand of the clock is still ticking. Who knows when your own clock is due to stop or whether you have even exceeded your actual time limit and what you have at your disposal is but an extra time?
Behold, the new year might just be the spare time He has given you to make things right with Him. If you have not accepted Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and savior, please, do in the new year. He loves you and He wants to have you reign with Him in the kingdom of His Father. For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? (Mark 8:36).
Were you once born again and now, you are back to your vomit or you find yourself slipping back gradually? Return ye unto thy first love in the new year and do the first works (Rev 2:5). God is expecting your return and He wants to give you a befitting welcome party because once you were lost but now you would be found (Luke 15:20-24).
Are you spirit-filled and tongue-speaking but yet without fruits? There is a huge vacuum in your life and that, you have to make amends for in the new year. This new year, you must not just carry green leaves all over your branches, you must put in every effort to bear fruits which you should make to abide. Clueless? Or need direction? Approach God and ask Him for the very reason He made you (Jer 1:5; James 1:5).
Are you already walking in His plan for your life, please, I enjoin you by the mercies of the Lord to keep up the good work in the new year. It is expected that you do not stop (Gal 6:9). Keep moving. Keep digging (1Cor 10:22).
This is the conclusion of the whole matter therefore,
“I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit. Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned. If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you. Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples. As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love. If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love. These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.” (John 15:1-10, emphasis mine).
Prayer points:
Father, reveal to me the purpose of my creation.
Father, give me the grace to align myself with thy purpose for my creation.
Lord, help me to walk in thy purpose for my life.
Father, let me not be a wasted investment in your vineyard.
Lord, let me not abuse your grace upon my life.
This year, o Lord, let me not incur your wrath.
God, give unto me the grace to keep abiding in you.
