ripe

i had a post with the same title last week, but then it didn't seem right then, so i deleted it.

as God brings us down this journey, i think it is amazing how He is preparing us. me in particular, as i seek His face, he continually reveals areas in my heart of bitterness and anger, and i continually have no choice but to give them over to Him. 

no choice?

nope. not from where i stand. see, i have been down that road before, and know exactly what kind of place that ends up, what kind of fruit that bears. i want nothing to do with it.

see i desire to be, like caleb in joshua (Old Testament), a wholehearted follower of God. to "bear fruit" that is pleasing.

here is the flipside though: a few chapters later, joshua addresses isreal and gives the famous "choose you now this day whom you will serve..." but that isn't the whole story. when the leaders of isreal say that they too will serve the Lord, joshua warns them that if they commit to following the Lord, that He will hold them to it, and He is a jealous God, desiring all of who they are. that there are stiff consequences and responsibilities to committing to follow the Lord.

so this following comes at a price, but the reward?

i make my stand, i give up my heart (daily, sometimes hourly) and desire the ripest of fruit God can offer in my life.