Draw Near – 365 Guides to Greater Intimacy with GodSample

BARREN LIVES Several men sat around the potbellied stove in the country store. "I'm going deaf and blind," one complained. "I don't know what the Lord leaves me here for." Another suggested, "Now, Mr. McCain, the Lord's ways are above our ways. He has left you here because He's got a work for you to do." The old man considered this for a moment, then announced, "Well, I ain't a-gonna do it." In an illustrated sermon, Jesus forcefully taught that barren lives are rejected by God. Like the fig tree, we must produce fruit and do His work or we will suffer the condemnation of Christ. Sadly, some are like the wizened old gentleman, refusing to do God's work. Hence, the Kingdom suffers and souls are lost. Lest we despair, we should remember that there are many who are anxious to be fruitful. For these, Jesus goes on to say, faith makes the impossible a reality. Our lives can be very productive as we learn to rely on God's Word. Faith knows no boundary, and our unfruitful lives can bloom into lovely and useful products.