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Many times I am stunned by what Jesus says and does. I am challenged to learn his ways and not mine or what “conventional wisdom” would dictate.
Jesus is very patient. “Let’s give it another year” he suggests to the Master. Jesus knows that there is more work that can be done. Jesus is willing to do it.
Jesus advocates for time to fertilize the tree. Jesus knows you can’t just plant a tree and ignore it.
Jesus came to seek out those who are missing God’s goal (i.e. sinning) and cultivate them into a real relationship with God. It is my job to align with that mission.
Then he told them a story: “A man had an apple tree planted in his front yard. He came to it expecting to find apples, but there weren’t any. He said to his gardener, ‘What’s going on here? For three years now I’ve come to this tree expecting apples and not one apple have I found. Chop it down! Why waste good ground with it any longer?’
“The gardener said, ‘Let’s give it another year. I’ll dig around it and fertilize, and maybe it will produce next year; if it doesn’t, then chop it down.’”
Source: Luke 13:6-9
Patience is an acquired virtue. I was not born with it, and I am still learning it.
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Yes, God is patient. But there will come a time when that patience is over. Jesus said we must work while it is still daylight. For the time is coming when no man can work. An old contract phrase out of my past is “Time is of the essence.” Jesus is coming back, it could be today, or tomorrow or …. no one except the Father knows when the time for harvest is done. Patience is truly a gift of the Spirit and we should exercise it leaving to God the work of drawing men to Himself. But we must be about our Father’s work for the harvest is plentiful and the laborers are few. Time is of the essence.
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