"Where's the Fruit?"
Luke 13:6-9 6 He also spoke this parable: “A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came seeking fruit on it and found none. 7 Then he said to the keeper of his vineyard, ‘Look, for three years I have come seeking fruit on this fig tree and find none. Cut it down; why does it use up the ground?’ 8 But he answered and said to him, ‘Sir, let it alone this year also, until I dig around it and fertilize it. 9 And if it bears fruit, well. But if not, after that[a] you can cut it down.’” (NKJV)
Back in the early 1980s there was a popular Wendy's television commercial made famous for the slogan, "Where's the Beef?" This famous marketing campaign was a way for Wendys to throw "shade" on the other fast-food chains for the lack of "beef" in their burgers. When a person is looking for a burger, their focus is not on the size of the bun, the quantity of the pickles, or the quality of the lettuce, tomatoes, and onions! The quality of the burger is always based on the "beef"!
Our devotional this morning is about a man that came to his fig tree looking for fruit, but repeatedly found none for three years! Perhaps the tree had a sturdy trunk, good size, pretty leaves but once again none of that matters if there is no fruit! The question is what can be said of our lives when the Master looks upon us? Does Jesus have to ask the question, "Where's the fruit?" Is this a question that He has to ask year after year after year? Now that we have completed the twenty-one day fast and also have come to the end of the first thirty-one days of 2018, we must ask ourselves the question, "Where's the fruit?"
If there is no fruit, let's take the next month of 2018 to dig around our spiritual tree and begin the fertilization process through the Word of God and the power of prayer! In our lives, we must allow the Holy Spirit to penetrate our hearts. This stirs change. Although the complete evidence of change doesn’t occur overnight, we must continue in the Word.
As we reflect on today’s devotion, may we remember the importance of continually feeding our spirit-man. It is imperative that it is fed on the right nutritional diet. Fruit is filled with important sources of vitamins and minerals and so is the Fruit of the Spirit. As such, if we feast on the Word and allow the Holy Spirit to penetrate our hearts, then it won’t be long before the evidence of what we are consuming begins to show forth.
