Bearing Blossoms and Fruit

He shall cause them that come of Jacob to take root: Israel shall blossom and bud, and fill the face of the world with fruit.  --Isaiah 27:6

 

[Jesus] spake also this parable; A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard; and he came and sought fruit thereon, and found none.  Then said he unto the dresser of his vineyard, Behold, these three years I come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and find none: cut it down; why cumbereth it the ground?  And he answering said unto him, Lord, let it alone this year also, till I shall dig about it, and dung it:  And if it bear fruit, well: and if not, then after that thou shalt cut it down.  --Luke 13:6-9

How would you feel if you planted a tree or bush and it never bore any fruit... especially if you had to pay a price for it?  We bought our plum tree, a cherry tree, and two pear trees about four years ago.  Our cherry tree produced a lot of blossoms and cherries this year.  Our pear trees have one miniature-sized pear between the pair of them despite the abundance of spring blossoms, and our plum tree had this one lone purple jewel.  While I don’t fully understand why the other twelve baby plums abandoned the tree early on, and even though the one that remained was slightly smaller than a ping-pong ball, I am grateful it bore fruit again this year.  It gives me hope for the future.

Have I borne any fruit this year?  I think so... although I’m sure I haven’t been as productive as I could’ve or should’ve been.  The Lord is gracious and slow to anger, but I sure hope He doesn’t find it necessary to dig about and ‘dung’ me in order to make me more fruitful.