But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things! Galatians 5:22-23 NLT
If you've ever driven in Atlanta, Georgia, you know they often use Peachtree. There are Avenues, Circles, Drives, Roads, and Ways. While it may not be obvious why to the befuddled outsider, once you leave the city entering the countryside, you begin seeing the orchards with grove after grove of peach trees—enough trees to produce, on average, 130 million pounds of the delicious fruit each year.
The Holy Spirit is like grove after grove of spiritual fruit trees. One row is love, another joy, followed by rows of peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. These rows are so long that we can't see the end. The trees themselves practically groan with abundance.
Each fruit has a different purpose, to be savored for what it offers. Imagine love as a peach, joy as a pear, or self-control as an apple. All are delicious, with each offering its unique flavor. Yet, while these fruits enrich and nourish us, they change us. In eating, we become transformed, and our eyes are opened to how we treat our family, friends, and neighbors–we become better than what we were.
Our access to this orchard comes from our acceptance of Jesus Christ. He has already paid the price. There are no limits to what tree we can eat from or how much we can eat. There are no growing seasons during which some fruit is unavailable, but everything is always available. All of this is a gift from our good and gracious Father.
Father, thank you for the fruits of the Spirit you have freely given and the price your Son paid. May we eat from the variety of these fruits daily, and may they continue to transform us into your likeness. May all our words and actions evidence the Holy Spirit and glorify you. We pray these things in Jesus' name. Amen.
Blessings,
Pastor Tim
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