PSALM 66:10-12 – For you, O God, have tested us; you have tried us as silver is tried. You brought us into the net; you laid a crushing burden on our backs; you let men ride over our heads; we went through fire and through water; yet you have brought us out to a place of abundance.
THEME OF THE DAY. PAIN COMES BEFORE GAIN. I believe it is safe to say that if we asked any Christian this question, “Do you want to bear fruit for the Lord Jesus that spiritually impacts those in your family, neighborhood, church, and other areas of influence God has given you?”, we would receive a sincere, maybe loud, cry of affirmation – “Absolutely. I long to leave Christ-centered fruit for His glory in all my relationships.” Okay. Now we ask another question . . . “Are you willing to go through the pain, the suffering, and the affliction which is necessary to make you a fruit-bearing disciple?” There might be a pause before answering. Oh, we may get the quick impulsive answer of “Yes, of course I am”, but always remember, impulsive spiritual commitments rarely lead to lasting spiritual commitments and will tarnish your testimony when you don’t keep your professed commitments. So, back to the question of pain for spiritual gain, or fruit-bearing.
The Lord Jesus told us “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. 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 15:1-2). Two things from our Lord about fruit-bearing. First, true Christians bear fruit, spiritual fruit. There is no such identity of a non-fruit bearing Christian. That leads to the second truth from Jesus. A fruit-bearing disciple of the Lord Jesus must be a purged disciple of the Lord Jesus – purged from the ugliness of selfishness; purged from the sinful desires of the flesh; and purged from the distracting pleasures of the world. To the measure we submit to God’s painful purging work in us will be the measure of the spiritual fruit from us. Remember, if we want to be greatly used by the Lord, we must be painfully equipped by the Lord. And the description of this painful equipping work by God is vividly described in today’s scripture.
Purging hurts because what needs to be purged – selfishness, sinful flesh, and an alluring world – will not die easily. It will rebel against the purging work of the Lord and in the rebellion is the work of the Spirit not letting us go or allow the work to cease. But take heart . . . look at the end of today’s scripture. How does this “purging season” end for the Psalmist? God brings him into a place of abundance. And God will do the same for us. His purging work, if properly responded to, will lead to a place of abundance; a fruit-bearing life for the glory of God.
PRAYER: “Father, help me to see that to be a fruit-bearing disciple, I must be a purged disciple – purged of my ugly self.”
QUOTE: “To the measure we submit to God’s purging work in us will be the measure of spiritual fruit from us.”