Greetings:
This is from a devotion prepared by Dr. David Jeremiah.
Galatians 5:22-23: "The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control."
In your mind's eye, put two trees side by side-a Christmas and an apple tree. On the one, ornaments are hung awhile, then and then removed. On the other, the ornaments are not ornaments at all, but real fruit growing naturally from within.
Some people are Christmas trees. They try to wear love like an ornament. They try to be joyful by their own efforts. They grudgingly try to be patient, kind, or gentle. They take a class in self-control. But without the indwelling of the Spirit, it's like hanging artificial ornaments on a dead tree. For the Christian, however, the character-qualities of Jesus Christ are produced within us by the indwelling Holy Spirit. The Spirit exhibits the love, joy, and peace of our Lord Jesus from within us as we walk in the Spirit.
Billy Graham is quoted as saying, "I cannot have joy, and peace, and long-suffering, gentleness, goodness and faith and meekness and temperance by myself. I have no power. But this Holy Spirit.is the one that gives me the power to love. He gives me the joy. He gives me the peace. He gives me the patience. He bears fruit in my life."
The Bible often compares believers to trees (Psalm 1:1-3; Jeremiah 17:7-8). Let's bear much fruit for His glory!
For Kingdom Education,
Doc
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