Under His Shadow

Fruit grows in our lives when we sit under the Lord’s shadow, in a position to receive. It’s fruit from a relationship with Him. It’s for others to enjoy but it’s the fruit of His love to us. His love brings joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control (Galatians 5:22). He makes our lives sweet. Taste and see that the Lord is good.

Do you delight in being under the Lord’s shadow? Or are you sometimes too busy. I know I am. Yet when I come and sit in that place and I don’t rush away, I wonder why on earth I didn’t come sooner because the fruit is so sweet.

The Lord always gives me something fresh when I sit there. His mercies are new every morning and He makes ‘all things new’. He gives me that childlike awe of discovering something beautiful that He’s revealing in my life or in His Word.

A fruitful life is like the snowdrops, the blossoms of snow that appear in Spring and cover the ground. Or it’s like a tree planted along a riverbank, with its roots reaching deep into the water - a tree not bothered by the heat nor worried by long months of drought. Its leaves stay green and it goes right on producing all its luscious fruit. We are told we need at least five portions of fruit a day to help keep physically healthy. God’s fruit keeps us healthy in spirit and full of life.

Song of Solomon 4:16 says, ‘Let my beloved come to his garden and eat its choicest fruits.’ Some of the fruit that the Lord grows in our lives is just for Him alone to enjoy and receive the glory. I wonder what the twelve kinds of fruit are on the Tree of Life that we read about in Revelation 22:2. It has a new crop every month, with leaves that will heal the nations. But I do know that ‘eye has not seen, nor ear heard what wonderful things the Lord is preparing for those that love Him’.

Prayer: Lord, may I take great delight as I draw close to You. Help me to grow the sort of fruit in my garden that You will enjoy. Amen.