"Fruit"

That word I got, no matter what,

It took root in my heart,

What God said, alive not dead,

He always does His part.

When I first heard, my mind was blurred,

I did not understand,

The devil stole, that was his goal,

I missed what God had planned.

While still a boy received with joy,

What never quite took root,

A troubled day, I fell away,

And gave the word the boot.

My life had thorns, my soul was worn,

They choked the word that came,

Worries, wealth with silent stealth,

Kept me from Jesus’ name.

But finally, the seed, you see,

Got sow down deep enough,

I understood, He knew I would,

He called the devil’s bluff.

The fruit that came, in Jesus’ name,

Was more than I can count,

It’s multiplied, the odds defied,

A wonderful amount.

It’s all because God did not pause,

But kept on keeping on,

The Spirit’s seed was all I need,

I now to Him belong.

“But the one who received the seed that fell on good soil is the man who hears the word and understands it. He produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.” (Matthew 13:23, NIV)

Jesus compared God to a farmer sowing seed. The seed is God’s word. The different kinds of soil represent people’s hearts. Some don’t understand and the devil steals the word away. Some excited receive the word but because they have little or no root, they fall away when trouble or persecution arise. Some receive the word but the thorns of worry and wealth choke out the word. But then there is the good soil, representing someone’s heart who understands the truth and apply it to their lives. These become fruitful people. It is God’s will that we all become fruitful.

Lord, make Your Word fruitful in us, in Jesus’ name.

Art by Clark Kelley Price, used by permission. Thanks, Clark, and God bless you.