fruit bearing

Life can be chaotic. My work days are characterized by what I call pop-ups, those problems that come out of nowhere and have to be dealt with immediately. At home, between wife and children and grandchildren and parents, it seems there’s always something on the calendar, and the schedule is always changing. And then there’s the process of contractors and the weather and my own work trying to get our new place into shape. It’s engaging and sometimes exciting, but it isn’t very often peaceful.

That’s probably why Isaiah 26:3 caught my eye this morning: “You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you.” There’s a promise in this verse of something that I feel I often lack.

When I mulled it over, though, it seemed to me that this isn’t a promise of a quiet, serene life. Instead, God is telling me that when I look to him, there won’t be stress. My emotions can stay peaceful in the midst of the chaos, because there’s no worry about the future.

I wondered how I might cultivate that kind of constant trust, and then in the next chapter Isaiah gave me a wonderful image to help. In 27:2-3, he wrote, “‘Sing about a fruitful vineyard: I, the Lord, watch over it; I water it continually. I guard it day and night so that no one may harm it.’”

Wow, I thought, there it is. God nurtures, God protects, God watches over me. All I have to do is bear fruit. In fact, God is working to eliminate anything that might keep me from bearing fruit.

So, my devotions this morning did what they’re supposed to do and sometimes don’t: they launched a day that feels different. It feels more intentional, less chaotic. It feels like the important thing isn’t what I get done, but that I keep myself in that place of trust and protection. It’s a different goal to focus on, but I think it will make a lot of difference.