Sweet Fruit
March 4
Lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him and he will make your paths straight.
Proverbs 3:5, 6
The seasons were changing in Florida, and winter was descending with a vengeance.
As Glenn watched the weather forecast for the upcoming week, he was worried. They were calling for colder-than-usual temperatures. He had expected the lingering fall weather to slip into cold nights, signaling the end of the growing season, but he wasn’t thrilled by the report he had just watched. Several nights below freezing had been predicted. That was both a threat and a blessing; a threat because if it lingered more than one or two nights, his crops would sustain damage; a blessing because in order for the juice in the oranges to turn sweet, they needed cold weather.
Having suffered frozen fruit a few years ago, Glenn wasn’t anxious to repeat the experience. They’d lost several hundred crates of oranges and had even lost some tree limbs under the weight of thick ice brought on by freezing rains. That deep-freeze had seen several farmers lose their entire crops. Glenn had been fortunate enough to break even. Florida crop-futures could be a risky commodity.
All he could do now was hope and pray that the weather didn’t linger too long, damaging the fruit.
As it turned out, the cold-front lasted only one night; just long enough to bring about the final stage of ripening, and Glenn enjoyed some of the sweetest oranges he’d ever grown.
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Isn’t it strange that a certain amount of distress is necessary to bring out the best in an orange? Our spiritual maturation is much the same. We mature because, not in spite of our struggles.
The secret to maintaining good spiritual and mental health is found in learning to lean on God in everything, asking Him to alleviate unnecessary and undue stress from our lives in the form of needless commitments, by submitting to Him even when we’re not completely sure of how events will turn out.
But…if we pay attention, and allow God to guide us, the process will sweeten rather than damage our fruit. That’s His promise.
Prayer
“There are times I forget to ask, and times I just flat refuse to seek Your help, LORD. Thanks for Your patience. Help me choose what’s best by always leaning on You. In Jesus’ Name, amen.”
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