Be Transformed Post #3: Fruit That Will Last

I shared in the last post how God has sustained me daily to open His Word and seek His face in prayer each morning before my family rises. It was NOT easy to start and only by His grace that I continue. But be encouraged if you want to grow through this with me that fruit has come!

FRUIT IN OUR LIVES
We cannot have sustaining fruit apart from Christ (John 15:5) and Christ himself said to abide/remain in His Word (that’s continual). But He also promises that we will grow more and more like Him as we are in His Word, because we are sanctified through His Word! What an incredible promise.

FRUIT IN OUR MARRIAGE
"Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up" Galatians 6:7-9
 If we want to be wives who encourage our husbands and moms who train up our kids, we need the root dug down deep. We need to continually seek God in His Word and trust Him for results. When we are daily in His Word, we can apply from Galatians 6 that we will reap fruit from that in our relationships as God transforms us more and more like Him. What's incredible is that the Holy Spirit multiplies our tiny effort into HUGE fruit. I see how Andy has suffered the wounds of me wandering from God and family in the past. But now our marriage is growing in incredible ways as we pray together and listen to sermons and seek Him. This could not have come if we weren't in His Word! God multiplied our teeny effort into big fruit!


FRUIT IN OUR KIDS LIVES
"Preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths."- 2 Timothy 4:2-4
When we are daily seeking God and prioritizing Christ as first in our lives, we are modeling to our kids what they need- the life sustaining word they need to live in Christ.

In Deuteronomy, we are told to talk about God's ways with our kids as we walk, rise, etc. We can’t talk about what we don’t know. As our kids grow, they’ll ask lots of questions and we should look for opportunities to share the gospel in daily life. We need to know God’s Word to know what to share when those opportunities come.

When Jimmy was 4 years old he was really into the Burger King crown. One day, while playing with it, we started talking about kings and I shared about kings in the Bible (like Josiah) who followed God and kings who didn’t and what their outcomes were. Later, we were talking about how the crown is so sought after (this came from him not wanting to share it) and such a treasure, so we shared that Jesus said where our treasure is, our heart will be also- and I got to share the gospel by showing that Jesus is the true treasure we long for and everything else, no matter how glittery will die away. Only Christ brings life. Jimmy still applies that truth and even gave away his entire piggy bank (his "Disney ticket" savings) twice in the last year to help two different families in their times of need. He did this knowing he may never go to Disney, but believing that Christ is the true treasure. What a tender heart towards Jesus that I'm honored to get to pour His Word into and guide up into Him. Praise God for fruit!

I could share other stories: people I meet in hotel lobbies, my neighbors asking questions, friends/family in the midst of grief, etc. that need counsel and comfort from His Word that I could not bring if I didn't know His Word. But my point is this: God brings fruit in every area of our lives when we seek Him. And it overflows and then bears fruit in others lives as He blesses them through us. We can trust Him for the fruit in our lives and those around us when we seek Him. We need Him and need to daily be in His Word. Please do not let a hard season of life be reason to disconnect from our very source of life. Will you consider committing this mont to a daily time in His Word? Maybe getting up before everyone in your home does and seeking Him first? 

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