Only In Him

Sometimes I have days which show me so clearly what a miserable sinner I am!  Today was definitely one of them.  I had no patience, and I was so easily annoyed (which I suppose is really just a *softer* word for angered) at my girls.  I found myself constantly wanting to "discipline" them because they did something that frustrated me – rather than for their sake, gently guiding them in righteousness. Tough to guide anyone in righteousness when I’m being so unrighteous! And I found that I was showing very little physical affection and comfort to them.  I think I was just a lousy mom today.  I have this tendency to find myself trying to do my job on my own strength, and then find myself failing miserably at doing so!  Lately I’ve been struggling with how to use my quiet time well and as such I find that I’ve been either skipping that time in the Word or reading by rote – neither of which really tends toward renewing my strength in Him.  But as I sat here feeling wretched this evening, I was reminded of a devotional I read last week that was so challenging and encouraging to me.  It’s by Spurgeon:

"From Me is thy fruit found."—Hosea 14:8.

UR fruit is found from our God as to union. The fruit of the branch is directly traceable to the root. Sever the connection, the branch dies, and no fruit is produced. By virtue of our union with Christ we bring forth fruit. Every bunch of grapes have been first in the root, it has passed through the stem, and flowed through the sap vessels, and fashioned itself externally into fruit, but it was first in the stem; so also every good work was first in Christ, and then is brought forth in us. O Christian, prize this precious union to Christ; for it must be the source of all the fruitfulness which thou canst hope to know. If thou wert not joined to Jesus Christ, thou wouldst be a barren bough indeed.
Our fruit comes from God as to spiritual providence. When the dew-drops fall from heaven, when the cloud looks down from on high, and is about to distil its liquid treasure, when the bright sun swells the berries of the cluster, each heavenly boon may whisper to the tree and say, "From me is thy fruit found." The fruit owes much to the root—that is essential to fruitfulness—but it owes very much also to external influences. How much we owe to God’s grace-providence! in which He provides us constantly with quickening, teaching, consolation, strength, or whatever else we want. To this we owe our all of usefulness or virtue.
Our fruit comes from God as to wise husbandry. The gardener’s sharp-edged knife promotes the fruitfulness of the tree, by thinning the clusters, and by cutting off superfluous shoots. So is it, Christian, with that pruning which the Lord gives to thee. "My Father is the husbandman. Every branch in Me that beareth not fruit He taketh away; and every branch that beareth fruit He purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit." Since our God is the author of our spiritual graces, let us give to Him all the glory of our salvation.

C. H. Spurgeon

Hosea 14

A Plea to Return to the LORD

 1Return, O Israel, to the LORD your God,
   for you have stumbled because of your iniquity.
2Take with you words
   and return to the LORD;
say to him,
   "Take away all iniquity;
accept what is good,
   and we will pay with bulls
    the vows of our lips.
3 Assyria shall not save us;
    we will not ride on horses;
and we will say no more, ‘Our God,’
   to the work of our hands.
 In you the orphan finds mercy."

 4I will heal their apostasy;
    I will love them freely,
   for my anger has turned from them.
5 I will be like the dew to Israel;
    he shall blossom like the lily;
   he shall take root like the trees of Lebanon;
6his shoots shall spread out;
   his beauty shall be like the olive,
   and his fragrance like Lebanon.
7They shall return and dwell beneath my shadow;
   they shall flourish like the grain;
they shall blossom like the vine;
   their fame shall be like the wine of Lebanon.

 8O Ephraim, what have I to do with idols?
   It is I who answer and look after you

I am like an evergreen cypress;
    from me comes your fruit.

 9  Whoever is wise, let him understand these things;
   whoever is discerning, let him know them;
for the ways of the LORD are right,
   and the upright walk in them,
   but transgressors stumble in them.