Passage of the Day:
Early in the morning, as Jesus was on his way back to the city, he was hungry. 19 Seeing a fig tree by the road, he went up to it but found nothing on it except leaves. Then he said to it, “May you never bear fruit again!” Immediately the tree withered. 20 When the disciples saw this, they were amazed. “How did the fig tree wither so quickly?” they asked. 21 Jesus replied, “Truly I tell you, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and it will be done, Matthew 21:18-21.
Reflection:
Modern teachers point to the saying “insanity is repeating the same thing over and over again but expecting a different result.” When Jesus went to grab a fig from a nearby tree, He realized that this fig tree wasn’t providing what it was designed to produce. Subsequently, rather than someone else experiencing the same disappoint as Jesus, He immediately withered the fig tree. While the parable of the unproductive fig tree in Luke 13:6-9 urges a caretaker to add fertilize and wait another year, sometimes you simply have to plant another tree.
Prayerful Action:
If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer, Matthew 21:22.
Developing the Spiritual Guts to Press On:
The most successful prayers that I’ve met over the past 40 years possess a combination of belief and fortitude. When one of these 2 qualities are absent from my life, my prayer life is unproductive. Last fall, I found a fox tail palm tree on sale, planting this just off my back patio. The first few months this palm tree looked healthy. However, after a few months of neglect, this fox tail began to die. I tried improving its soil and replanted this in a better location with more sunlight. Nonetheless, my hopes and prayers were denied. While pruning dead branches on a mostly healthy tree stimulates growth, you have to learn when it’s time to move on by planting a new tree.
Song of the Day:
Final Thoughts:
When Leanne and I bought our first house, we wanted to become like our fathers who always had a successful garden each year. Although some years are better than others, we press on, living and learning with the goal of thriving as a gardener and spiritually in life.
by Jay Mankus
ExpressYourself4Him 