Tuesday 10 Jul 2018

July 10: Ezekiel 15:1-8

Key Verse: Ezekiel 15:2
Son of man, how is the wood of a vine different from that of a branch from any of the trees in the forest?

Devotion:
We often think of Jesus as being the one who introduced us to the idea of Israel being like a vine and branches; but we can go back into our Old Testament scriptures and see the same words as expressed here as He inspired the prophets to write those words. Here, Ezekiel was impressed to write about the value of a vine which is fruitful against the value of a vine that no longer bears fruit. If you have done any studying of caring for vines or even watched a film where they care for vines at some stage, you probably would have picked up on the fact a vine needs constant care and constant pruning.

If a vine is left to grow by itself, it will very quickly take over the place where it is growing and choke itself so that it will not bear as much fruit as previous seasons. Unless you are willing to be quite harsh with the vine and cut it back when it gets unruly, you may well be left with less fruit than the previous season. However, when you keep it in constant check by pruning, it will deliver more fruit season after season. However, if you simply cut back and do not care for it such as watering in the right ways, it will not bear as much as it can. Unless you nurture it, the fruit-bearing capacity will not be as great as it can be.

God continues to try and make sure we and well kept for at every stage. He continues to prune us when we go wayward. Yet He also makes sure we are cared for as long as we want to be. With that combination of love and care what else can we do but grown fruitfully when we walk with Him?

We are all capable of bearing fruit – as is any vine. We are all capable of being useful. We are all also capable of ignoring God and ending up on the pile which will be burned as useless wood. The choice as to where we would rather be is ours to make. The care that we receive if we decide to walk with God will be second to none!

Points to Ponder:
Do you feel like you have a fruitful life?

How much do you listen to God in His desire to give you a fruitful life?