OCTOBER....many reasons why I love this month and time of year. It could be due to the fact the month begins with the same letter as orange, or the last three letters seem to sound like what I say each morning as the temperature begins to drop. The vibrancy of reds, yellows, greens and orange against a brilliant blue sky make the tenth month of the year the absolute best when it comes to color! An artist’s palette just waiting for a new masterpiece to be born.
There’s something spiritual about this month in seasonal changes. It is harvest time. A vine is sagging under the weight of its fruit and each piece of fruit will display the life it received from the vine. The fruit reveals what took place in the spring and summer months. The condition of the soil, the amount of water, air and sunshine the fruit received, the actual care of the planting and pruning during the spring months.
John 15:5 tells us, "I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” Did we stay just close enough to the Vine to survive? If so, our fruit will be pale, lacking color, wrinkly and the lack of freshness will be obvious. If we remained strongly connected to the Vine (John 15:4), our fruit will be healthy, ripe, rich and luscious and our lives reaping the benefit of the previous seasons growth and care.
Harvest is a time of reaping. In spiritual terms, we are involved in ministry. Our lives are touching other lives. We share our fruitfulness, even when we are tired. The harvest lasts but a short season as the year progresses. We have a choice to harvest our fruit. We choose to be involved in ministry to others and in doing so our growth on the Vine grows deeper, our opportunities to love and give increase and the harvest is bountiful. To keep our lives fruitful, ministry time during the harvest is not an option. If we are not allowing the fruit to be used for the reason it was planted in the first place, it will fall to the ground and rot. It must be harvested, given away and used for the purpose it was cultivated. Above all though, God (the Vine) is the One who makes the harvest happen, not us. We simply obey what He is telling us to do. We make a choice to be available for the harvest. And watch as He glorifies Himself through His fruit.
“God, open my eyes to the harvest around me. What are YOU doing and how do I fit in?”
October...harvest....rich, tasty, firm, healthy fruit and vegetables, how can I feed those around me with the fruit you have cultivated in my life? “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.” Galatians 5:23,23 Practically, where has God been loving in my life? Where has He given me joy? Where has He been faithful? How has He taught me self-control? All fruit I can pick and pass onto others.
October...harvest....time to pick and give away. A great month of reaping the cultivation of spring and summer.
There’s something spiritual about this month in seasonal changes. It is harvest time. A vine is sagging under the weight of its fruit and each piece of fruit will display the life it received from the vine. The fruit reveals what took place in the spring and summer months. The condition of the soil, the amount of water, air and sunshine the fruit received, the actual care of the planting and pruning during the spring months.
John 15:5 tells us, "I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” Did we stay just close enough to the Vine to survive? If so, our fruit will be pale, lacking color, wrinkly and the lack of freshness will be obvious. If we remained strongly connected to the Vine (John 15:4), our fruit will be healthy, ripe, rich and luscious and our lives reaping the benefit of the previous seasons growth and care.
Harvest is a time of reaping. In spiritual terms, we are involved in ministry. Our lives are touching other lives. We share our fruitfulness, even when we are tired. The harvest lasts but a short season as the year progresses. We have a choice to harvest our fruit. We choose to be involved in ministry to others and in doing so our growth on the Vine grows deeper, our opportunities to love and give increase and the harvest is bountiful. To keep our lives fruitful, ministry time during the harvest is not an option. If we are not allowing the fruit to be used for the reason it was planted in the first place, it will fall to the ground and rot. It must be harvested, given away and used for the purpose it was cultivated. Above all though, God (the Vine) is the One who makes the harvest happen, not us. We simply obey what He is telling us to do. We make a choice to be available for the harvest. And watch as He glorifies Himself through His fruit.
“God, open my eyes to the harvest around me. What are YOU doing and how do I fit in?”
October...harvest....rich, tasty, firm, healthy fruit and vegetables, how can I feed those around me with the fruit you have cultivated in my life? “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.” Galatians 5:23,23 Practically, where has God been loving in my life? Where has He given me joy? Where has He been faithful? How has He taught me self-control? All fruit I can pick and pass onto others.
October...harvest....time to pick and give away. A great month of reaping the cultivation of spring and summer.
