Day 13- Luke

Read Luke 13.

Spotlighted Scripture:  Read Luke 13:6-9.

Welcome to a story about grace.  Undeserving grace.

Let me set the scene:  A man planted a fig tree in his vineyard.  According to Leviticus 19:23-25, when any kind of fruit tree was planted, you were required to wait four full years before eating any fruit.  In the fifth year you were allowed to pick from the tree & eat.  So the owner of the fig tree planted the tree and waited the 4 years required by Jewish law to pick the figs.  In year 5, 6 & 7, he continued to visit the vineyard to pick figs off the tree but the tree had not yielded any fruit.  So he tells the gardener to cut it down since it is not producing fruit and wasting space in the vineyard.  But the gardener tells the owner to give it more time and let him nurture it for one more year.  Then if he returns in 1 year and there is still no fruit, he will cut it down.

Here are my thoughts on this story:  When we are new to our faith, God gives us a chance to root & grow.  But there comes a time when we need to start to produce fruit in accordance with our faith.  When the gardener asks for one more year to nurture and grow the tree, that's grace.  God gives us chances to get it right, picks us up when we do it wrong, and wants to give us every opportunity to grow. 

• What kind of tree are you?  Have you been recently planted- rooting & growing?  Or have you reached the point when fruit should be evident and able to be picked? 
• Take time today to thank God for His grace.  Ask Him to show you how you can bear fruit for His Kingdom.