Times Such As This

Everything in my garden is dead or dying, except for my okra. 

We are in the dead of summer in southeast Texas, in the middle of a severe drought. Where I live is usually known for its lush greenery and stifling humidity, but currently the grass crunches beneath our feet. Even though I have an automatic watering system in my garden which gives regular moisture to my plants, those plants cannot survive the suffocating Texas heat. Except for the okra, because okra was designed to suffer extremes and still bear fruit. 

My cucumber vines have literally disintegrated. The ducks have ravished what’s left of my peppers. The winter squash vines I have left, can only muster enough energy to grow leaves. But the okra still bears fruit because it’s high enough from the ground so the ducks cannot reach the fruit, and the plant itself is drought tolerant and heat resistant. One could say that okra was born for times such as this. When all other plants are struggling and dying in drought and heat and harsh conditions, susceptible to roaming hordes of hungry foragers, okra not only continues to stand tall, but it also grows and bears fruit. 

Today, after my devotional time, the Lord called me out to this garden to take note of the okra. The Spirit reminded me of all the promises of the Lord to be everything we need when we are rooted and grounded in Him. Not merely to survive, but to also bear fruit when everything else around us is withering and dying, susceptible to roaming hordes of damaging foragers, succumbing to the harsh circumstances of the environment. 

One could even say that those rooted and grounded in Christ were born for times such as this.

(Ps 1:1-3) Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, or set foot on the path of sinners, or sit in the seat of mockers. But his delight is in the Law of the LORD, and on His law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water, yielding its fruit in season, whose leaf does not wither, and who prospers in all he does.

(Jer 17:5-8) This is what the LORD says: “Cursed is the man who trusts in mankind, who makes the flesh his strength and turns his heart from the LORD. He will be like a shrub in the desert; he will not see when prosperity comes. He will dwell in the parched places of the desert, in a salt land where no one lives. But blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose confidence is in Him. He is like a tree planted by the waters that sends out its roots toward the stream. It does not fear when the heat comes, and its leaves are always green. It does not worry in a year of drought, nor does it cease to produce fruit.”

(Is 32:1-5) Behold, a king will reign in righteousness, and princes will rule with justice. Each will be like a shelter from the wind, a refuge from the storm, like streams of water in a dry land, like the shadow of a great rock in an arid land. Then the eyes of those who see will no longer be closed, and the ears of those who hear will listen. The fearful heart will know and understand, and the stammering tongue will be fluent and clear. No longer will a fool be called noble, nor a scoundrel be respected.

Discovering The Depth

I’ve been watching our pond dry up. 

To give you perspective, the log in front of the duck should be under about four feet of water. I never even knew that log was there until this summer. That’s the funny thing about things drying up— you discover stuff that had been lying just beneath the surface the whole time. Stuff that lay hidden, but as the water recedes,

it becomes exposed because there’s nothing for it to hide behind anymore. 

Every few days, I’ve been walking out there to take a look. At first, the receding waterline was barely perceptible. But there were signs. There were markers that the water was leaving. Visible water-level stains on the bridge beams, tree roots peeking out from the water’s surface. I kept hoping for rain, but I just got more exposed tree roots and embankment instead. I don’t know how deep our pond is, but I may find out before it’s all said and done. But maybe that’s not such a bad thing— for something to dry up so you can see how deep it really was. For something to dry up, so you can see it’s depth.

As I watch my pond dry up, I ponder how God seems to be allowing the same thing spiritually. At first it was barely perceptible, and I don’t think most people realized what was happening. But there were signs. There were markers. Now that things are being exposed, things that had been lurking beneath the surface all that time, I think people are beginning to realize that there is nowhere to hide anymore. But maybe that’s not such a bad thing…

…for something to dry up so we can see how deep it really was. 

(Luke 8:13) The seeds on rocky ground are those who hear the word and receive it with joy, but they have no root. They believe for a season, but in the time of testing, they fall away.

(Matt 24:8-13) All these are the beginning of birth pains…they will deliver you over to be persecuted and killed, and you will be hated by all nations because of My name. At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, and many false prophets will arise and mislead many. Because of the multiplication of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold. But the one who endures to the end is the one who will be saved.

(Heb 12:26,27) At that time His voice shook the earth, but now He has promised, “Once more I will shake not only the earth, but heaven as well.” The words “Once more” signify the removal of what can be shaken—that is, created things—so that the unshakable may remain.

Holding Out For Rome

Jesus wants to give us eternal life, but many of us hold out for answers about Rome instead. 

Throughout Jesus’ earthly ministry, He poured out beautiful truths about His kingdom. He gave answers that were not understood by the earthly-minded and descriptions that seemed too simple and mundane. Jesus unequivocally preached His kingdom, and He revealed the way one could enter it. But most of the people wanted to hear about Rome instead. 

Many did not want to hear about seeds and plants and wheat and soil. They wanted to know what sort of retribution would be given to Rome. They wanted to know when God would bring vengeance. They wanted answers to earthly problems, not descriptions of heavenly realities. The problem many had with Jesus was that He simply did not give them what they wanted. He did not give them the answers they expected. Oswald Chambers said, “There is a vast difference between devotion to a person and devotion to principles or to a cause. Our Lord never proclaimed a cause— He proclaimed personal devotion to Himself.”

To the religious, He said, “Why do you judge the speck in your brother’s eye and ignore the log in your own?” To the political zealot He said, “Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s.” To the unduly burdened He said, “If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two.” And to the poor He said, “When someone sues you for your shirt, give them your cloak also.” Jesus indomitably preached His truth, not ours. He preached the mind of God, not the mind of men. 

And the mind of God is not concerned with our causes, it is only concerned with His kingdom. 

(Luke 4:43,44) But Jesus told them, “I must preach the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns as well, because that is why I was sent.” And He continued to preach in the synagogues of Judea.

(Matt 5:43-45) You have heard that it was said, “You shall love your neighbor, and hate your enemy.” but I say to you, Love your enemies, bless those cursing you, do good to those hating you, and pray for those accusing you falsely, and persecuting you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. For He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.

(Matt 13:19-23) When anyone hears the message of the kingdom but does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart... The seed sown on rocky ground is the one who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. But since he has no root, he remains for only a season. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, he quickly falls away. The seed sown among the thorns is the one who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful. But the seed sown on good soil is the one who hears the word and understands it. He indeed bears fruit and produces a crop—a hundredfold, sixtyfold, or thirtyfold.

Focusing On Fruit

It’s difficult to watch something die, unless you understand that it’s sole purpose was to bear fruit. 

This squash plant wasn’t meant to live forever. It was merely meant to be the structure needed to form fruit that could be consumed and give life to someone— fruit that matured long enough to form seed within it that could be planted to grow more squash.  More squash to be consumed and give life. More squash to form seed to be planted again, over and over. Because the point of the plant is to provide structure to grow the fruit. 

Too many of us are more interested in tending to the plant for the sake of the plant, rather than tending to the plant for the sake of the fruit. We must understand that the plant— the structure given to us for the purpose of bearing fruit— was not meant to live forever. Only the fruit will remain. We have not been appointed to keep the plant alive, we have been appointed to bear fruit. The structure is passing away, but the fruit will live forever. 

I see many holding onto structures, when they should be holding onto Christ instead. We must ask ourselves, what are we really abiding in? A structure, or a person? Christ-like things, or Christ? Are we more focused on keeping the plant healthy because we take pleasure in its appearance, or do we understand the transient nature of the plant, which exists for the sake of the fruit? 

I wonder how many of us have enough faith to let go of the plant, so that the Lord may have His fruit?

(Luke 18:8) …Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on earth?

(John 15:16) You did not choose Me, but I chose you. And I appointed you to go and bear fruit—fruit that will remain—so that whatever you ask the Father in My name, He will give you.

(John 15:5,7,8) I am the vine and you are the branches. The one who remains in Me, and I in him, will bear much fruit. For apart from Me you can do nothing…If you remain in Me and My words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. This is to My Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, proving yourselves to be My disciples.

(Matt 21:34) When the harvest time drew near, he sent his servants to the tenants to collect his share of the fruit.

(Mat 21:43) Therefore I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit.

(Mark 4:26) Jesus also said, “The kingdom of God is like a man who scatters seed on the ground. Night and day he sleeps and wakes, and the seed sprouts and grows, though he knows not how. All by itself the earth produces a crop—first the stalk, then the head, then grain that ripens within. And as soon as the grain is ripe, he swings the sickle, because the harvest has come.”

(Is 27:6) In the days to come, Jacob will take root. Israel will bud and blossom and fill the whole world with fruit.