Your Daily Slice

 

ADAR BET 26

Barren

 

“For if you have these qualities in abundance, they keep you from being barren and unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Yeshua the Messiah.” (2Pet 1:8 CJB)

 

I believe that it is in our best interests to periodically stop and make a ‘fruit inspection’ of our own fruit, checking to see how we measure up.  This is an admonition given to us by the Apostle Paul: “Examine and test and evaluate your own selves to see whether you are holding to your faith and showing the proper fruits of it” (2Cor 13:5, emphasis mine).  It is unfortunate that too often we find ourselves evaluating everyone else’s fruit, while looking at our own through ‘rose-colored glasses’.  Yes, we are expected to be ‘fruit inspectors’; however, as we cast our eyes on our brother’s fruit, let us also remember the words of Messiah, a warning about the ‘plank in our own eye’ that should always be dealt with first.

There are several lists found within the Apostolic Writings (New Testament) to use as our guide: Gal 5:22-23; Col 3:12-15; Rom 5:3-4, 12:9-21; as well as the verses we have been studying, 2Pet 1:5-8.  Several of these lists overlap, and you will find a few of the same required ‘virtues’ in each list.  When we find a specific ‘word’ mentioned more than once within the pages of the Scriptures, there must be an importance attached to it, and we might oughta  pay attention.  For example, the word that has been translated as ‘patience’ is mentioned in two of the above lists; it stands to reason, then, that we should pay close attention to our ‘patience’ level.

Messiah Yeshua gave us a strong forewarning in regards to the danger of being ‘unfruitful’: “Every branch in Me that bears no fruit He (the Father) takes away” (Joh 15:2, emphasis mine).  Let us all be tireless and diligent in our commitment to bear the fruit that is pleasing to the One who created us.

 

“And the axe is already laid to the root of the trees. Every tree, then, which does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.” (Mat 3:10 ISR)

“And he said to the gardener, ‘Look, for three years I have come seeking fruit on this fig tree and find none. Cut it down, why does it even make the ground useless?’ And he answering, said to him, ‘Master, leave it this year too, until I dig around it and throw manure.  And if indeed it bears fruit, good. But if not so, you shall cut it down.’ ” (Luk 13:7-9 ISR)

 

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