Devotionals for the Heart: No Law

There Is No Law
A devotional by Allison M. Wilson

Key Scripture: Galatians 5:22-23, Proverbs 25:2, Philippians 4:4-8 (NASB)

We’ve come to the end of the Fruit of the Spirit, and I have to say, God’s shown me some pretty neat things about these gifts. The progression of them has such deep meaning. I look forward to letting Him bring out more and more.

The last line in this particular set of verses has always been interesting to me: “…against such things there is no law.” Why would that need to be said? Who could think any of these fruit would be a bad thing? I mean, love is what makes the world go around, right? And kindness has had movies made about it. Songs are written about these qualities, so why point out that there isn’t a law against them?

Christ knows we are dense sometimes. I don’t say that to be mean. It’s a reality. We see the Word repeating things … a lot. That’s because we need it to be repeated. Just once isn’t enough. Repetition is how we learn. There are some who say that it takes 7 or 8 times of hearing something you’d like to remember before it starts to stick. It would have taken a lot of space to repeat all of these fruit here in the section.

We need something to snap us out of our stupor and make us pay attention. The Word says that it’s to the glory of God to conceal a matter, and the glory of kings to seek it out. I think this might be one of those places. Why is it important for Christ to tell us there’s no law against these fruit?

Whether we all agree what it is, we’re all born with a moral compass. One person’s may be different than another’s, but everyone has something in them that tells them something is right or wrong. Yet, don’t we see great wrongs being done every day, and by those who should “know better?” At that point, what do we tend to do? We judge that person’s walk, their faith, their relationship with God. God alone knows the heart, however, we feel we have seen enough to make a judgment on that person, sometimes based on less than a minute of time.

What if we attach the fruit of the Spirit to those situations? Since there is no law against them, put love alongside the issue. Where does that leave you in the situation? And joy? Or faithfulness? Oh, don’t forget peace.

We can’t exhibit too much of any of these things. Honestly, we can’t exhibit any of them on our own. But, Christ wants these to be our first line of defense against all the things that come at us each day. We are strengthened when we know and walk in His love. That springs joy up through us, and spills out on those around us. We’re peaceful, making everyone feel at ease or welcome, solely due to our encounters with the love of God.

I see nowhere in Scripture where we’re told to dwell on our past…our sins. What I do see are several lists of positive things that God wants us to focus on for a huge benefit. We gain a guarded mind and heart when we do. Who here needs that today? All of this stems from knowing there is no law against, and no reason not to have, these fruit freely flowing through us. They are the very essence of Christ living in us to a world that desperately needs His love. Be fruitful, and multiply.

Let’s Pray: Dearest Jesus, we know Your ways are better. We know the Fruit of the Spirit that You’ve given us are for our benefit, but they are even more for others. Let there be no boundary on how Your Fruit are used in and through us for Your glory. In the Name of Jesus Christ we pray, Amen.

~*~
Author Bio:

A very early reader and lover of the written word, Allison M. Wilson has been writing since the age of eight with the heart to impart stories and God's truth. 

She has judged countless contests for the last 25 years, reviewed for several online publications, professionally edited, and written articles and devotionals.

Wife, mother, writer, editor, teacher, mentor, and mompreneur, God keeps her busy while living in east central Florida with her family.

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Connect with Allison:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/allisonmwilson
Twitter: https://twitter.com/amwilson

Devotionals for the Heart: Faith

The Power in Our Faith
A devotional by Patrick E. Craig

"For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh: How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?" ~Hebrews 9:13-14 (KJV)

One of the great dilemmas of the Christian faith is the spirit of unbelief that seems to permeate the lives of many Christians. We come to church and hear great teaching, we read the Bible and appreciate the truths therein, but then we live our lives as though the Word of God is merely a collection of myths and stories: ancient wisdom penned by prophets and psalmists who were men of a bygone age that really has no relevance for today except to encourage us that there is a better way to live if we can only follow some set of rules that will please God.

Take, for instance, the text at the beginning of this devotional. The writer is saying that the old Hebrew sacrifices that were performed daily to cleanse the Jews of the defilement caused by their sins were only capable of purifying them on the outside. But the sacrifice of Christ has the power to cleanse your conscience—that is, to purify you not just on the outside but on the inside, too. What does that mean? The fact of guilt and the feelings of guilt have both been dealt with forever and now we have complete unhindered access to God!

But somehow we miss the point. We no longer need to perform “dead works” to come to God as the Jews did in the old Tabernacle. What we don’t seem to “get” is that Christ has performed the work that purifies us once and for all and we now live in a permanent state of access to the throne. Yes! We really do!

My point is that if we actually understood what this means then we would not be constantly either hiding from God because we feel guilty about something we did or running to counselors or self-help books to find the answer. 

The answer is right before us and it is found on every page of the Bible. The answer is Jesus Christ. He is the purifier, the 13th step of every 12-step program, the healer and the access grantor. Take a leap of faith today and lay hold of this truth. Jesus has done all the work that is necessary for you to live a whole and happy life. Now go out and live it!

"Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need." ~Hebrews 4:16 (KJV)

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Author Bio:

Patrick E. Craig is a lifelong writer and musician who left a successful songwriting and performance career in the music industry to follow Christ in 1984. 

In 2011 he signed a three-book deal with Harvest House Publishers to publish his Apple Creek Dreams series. His current series is The Paradise Chronicles. The first book in the series, The Amish Heiress, a romantic suspense novel, was published by Patrick's company, P&J Publishing, in August of 2015 and remained on the Amazon Top 100 best sellers list in three categories for seven months.

The second book in the series, The Amish Princess, a historical romance novel, was released in December of 2016 and was on Amazon's Hot New Releases for over a month. Harlequin recently purchased the print rights for both books for their Walmart Amish series. Patrick also just released Cracking The Indie Egg—A Recipe For Publishing Your Own Book and it is available in most major digital bookstores.

Patrick and his wife Judy, make their home in Idaho. They have two married children and five grandchildren. Patrick is represented by the Steve Laube Agency.

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Connect with Patrick:
Website - www.patrickecraig.com
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/PatrickECraig
Twitter - https://twitter.com/PatrickECraig
Amazon Author page - http://tinyurl.com/n6sfagg

Devotionals for the Heart: Fruit

The Fruit We Grow
A devotional by Ginger Solomon

“Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit.” – John 15:2 (ESV)

It’s fruit season where I live. We’ve been getting blueberries for some time. The peaches are ripening. The apples, cherries, plums, and blackberries should be available in the next few months. Everything in its season.

We have several trees that have died or are diseased. And just like the verse above, we trim them back every year and remove the diseased or dead parts (or rather my husband does). This allows for the healthy branches to get the needed nutrients and produce the best fruit.

There are many verses in the New Testament that refer to the fruit we as Christians are supposed to bear. A few short verses after the above, Jesus continues the fruit vein. “By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples.” (John 15:8) Matthew writes about those who don’t produce fruit. “Even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. Every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.” (Matthew 3:10)

The parable of the sower is the clearest example of our lives, I think. Here's the story as told in Mark 4:3-8... “Listen! Behold, a sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seed fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured it. Other seed fell on rocky ground, where it did not have much soil, and immediately it sprang up, since it had no depth of soil. And when the sun rose, it was scorched, and since it had no root, it withered away. Other seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no grain. And other seeds fell into good soil and produced grain, growing up and increasing and yielding thirtyfold and sixtyfold and a hundredfold.”

Stay with me for a moment, because you might be saying that this verse doesn’t say anything about fruit, but you’d be wrong. The word translated grain here is the same Greek word for fruit (karpon). And because I am a lover of words, here's the explanation: "Karpon" means "fruit, result or gain". Generally, it’s talking about vegetables/fruit or animals, but it can also mean deeds, actions, results, profit, or gain. Figuratively (which is what I’m discussing here), it refers to the things we do with Christ. It’s about a believer being united with Christ, allowing His life to flow through ours to yield eternal fruit. This is the definition from BibleHub.com.

And I would be remiss if I didn’t mention Galatians 5:22-23, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.”

I heard a sermon recently about this topic. It prompted this post, actually. The pastor said that for us to have the fruit of the Spirit, we must first have the seed of the Spirit. Just as in this realm, that seed takes time to grow. It needs to be watered and fed by the Word. It must be tended. It doesn’t happen overnight. 

We grow in love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Just as some fruits take longer to mature, so do some of these fruits. 

He also pointed out that there is no law against any of these fruits. They are all there for us to grow in and bless others with. No one is going to complain (or at least they shouldn’t) if you love them or have joy or are peaceful, or exhibit kindness, or...or...or. You understand.

John 15:4-5 says, “Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.”

Without Him, I cannot produce fruit.

And now the hard question, one that I struggle with in my own life: What does your fruit look like? Is it withered or rotten? Are you tending the seed of the Spirit?

*All Bible verses mentioned within this devotional are from the English Standard Version of The Holy Bible.

~*~
Author Bio:

Ginger Solomon is a Christian, a wife, a mother to seven, and a writer—in that order (mostly). 

She writes or reads inspirational romance of any genre, and if she’s busy homeschooling, doing laundry, or fixing dinner, books are on her mind.

She’s a member of American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW), president of her local writing group, and blogs regularly for InspyRomance.com and at gingersolomon.com.

Devotionals for the Heart: Nanci's thoughts on Springtime and CPR

Springtime: God's CPR

A devotional by Nanci Rubin

"While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease."~Genesis 8:22 (KJV)

In February, you’ll find me pouring through the Burpee seed catalogue in anticipation of spring planting as God makes preparation to perform CPR and revive the earth from its winter repose. Nothing excites me more than to see crocus as they emerge through the snow-covered earth and the unforgettable sweet aroma of lavender and pink Hyacinths heralding re-birth. Nature fulfilling God’s promise found in Genesis.

To me, gardening epitomizes seed time and harvest and brings scripture to life. After many years of planting my garden, I can safely say you reap what you sow. If I plant green beans, I don’t expect to harvest beets. It’s the same in our daily lives. What seed are you sowing? Envy? Strife? Mercy? Love? Forgiveness?

In spring, as the earth goes through re-birth, I am reminded of the ‘born-again’ experience. As my seedlings sprout, I remember what Jesus said in Matthew 13:4-8 about the sower sowing the seed.

“And when he sowed, some seeds fell by the way side, and the fowls came and devoured them up: some fell upon stony places, where they had not much earth, and forthwith they sprung up, because they had no deepness of earth. And when the sun was up, they were scorched, and because they had no root, they withered away. And some fell among thorns, and the thorns sprung up and chocked them. But other fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit, some a hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold.” ~Matthew 13:4-8 (KJV)

Interesting how the seed (Word) was sown in different types of soil. The soil makes all the difference in your garden. I cultivate the soil, add nutrients when needed. My seedlings without good soil won’t develop to their expected potential. It’s the same for us as new creations. God has called us. He has forgiven us, written His Word on our hearts and desires for us to grow. It is up to us to cultivate and guard the seed sown in our hearts.

After you’ve received Jesus in your heart, the enemy will come immediately to destroy that which has been sown. He’ll accuse you, remind you of your past, beat you down with his weapons of mass destruction, his attacks individualized as we tell him our fears. We talk too much. Social media has become the enemy’s new battleground.

Most of us have purchased indoor plants or outdoor scrubs. They all come with instructions on care, how we are to nourish them and keep them alive. God has done the same for us. He’s given us his instruction manual, His Word, the Bible. Read it. Let it water your soul, nourish your body and give you direction. It is the fertilizer you need to grow up in Him.

Last summer, I experienced an infestation of Japanese Beetles, of Biblical proportion. Nothing I used worked. I had to ‘hand pick’ every single one. It took me weeks. The beetle fiasco reminded me how we should never allow our hearts to become hardened and immune to the Word of God.

As I hand-picked those beetles, I thought about God’s Word and how much the enemy hates it. He desires to infest our minds with his lies, pulling at us so he can divert us from God’s plan. However, no matter what he says or does, the enemy can NEVER pluck you from God’s hand.

Your mistakes don’t cancel God’s plan in your life. He’s planted you in the orchard of His heart. You're the apple of His eye, and He loves you. Bloom where you’re planted.

~*~

Author Bio:

Nanci writes Inspy Amish romance. She lives in Northern Virginia with her husband and two fur kids, Romeo and Juliet, rescue cats. She is working on her debut novel, Plain Justice. 

She retired earlier than planned from nursing to care for her mother, diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. Her mom passed last year at the age of ninety-nine and Nanci has delved more into her writing.

She is active in an intercessory prayer ministry in her church, belongs to The Woman’s Club, a service-oriented volunteer organization dedicated to the welfare and enrichment of the community and volunteers two days a week at the Mary Washington Museum.

Currently, she's enrolled in Rhema Bible College’s correspondence Bible studies. She belongs to ACFW and RWA. When she’s not working, reading or writing she’s hiking with her husband at Shenandoah National Park.