2 Peter 2:5-8
But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love. For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
In March I planted six tomato seeds from a plant I had grown last year. The plant was a gift and we had no idea what variety it was. The plants immediately sprouted and just kept growing larger and larger. I was informed that many of the plants have been genetically engineered in such a way that the seeds will not produce. Since I had already transplanted them in the garden I wanted to observe what would happen.
The plants grew incredibly fast and produced a crescendo of blossoms. (That means a lot!) I was confident since there were so many blossoms that tomatoes would form. I was wrong. I have strong and healthy looking plants with beautiful blossoms, but one by one the blossoms dry up and die.
There have been many Christians that are very much like my tomato plants. They look good and appear spiritually ready to produce fruit for the Lord. But then they start to wither and draw inwardly. They do not produce a crop of blessing for the Lord, but just soak up more and more information.
Do you find yourself in this picture? Do you devote yourself to classes, seminars, sermons, books, and the like, but you are not being a blessing. It is time to cry out to the Lord to pollinate you with His Spirit and power to do His work His way.
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
—Pastor Cecil