His winnowing fork is in his hand to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his barn, but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.” And with many other words John exhorted the people and proclaimed the good news to them.
My mailbox has a pesky palm tree bush growing around it. It expands so fast it prevents the mail carrier from entering my mailbox within a month of cutting it back. Finally, I pruned it to one stalk with one leaf. It multiplied twice as fast as just cutting it away from the front of the mailbox. In the same way Jesus prunes us.
Jesus sends his Holy Spirit (unquenchable fire) to burn away our chaff (the part of us that no longer produces fruit) so we can produce the most fruit (wheat) for Him. He may cut away jobs we are doing at church that He wants someone else to do, so we will have more time for the work He will give us. We may not have a ministry, but God has given us a family, friends, and coworkers to care for. John’s fruit was encouraging (exhorting) people and telling them the good news of Jesus to give them hope. What fruit are we producing?
God, keep immersing us in your Holy Spirit to burn away the parts of us that aren’t fruit-producing. Let us live to do the work You give us and encourage, care for, and give the good news to those around us.
I remember a conversation with Mom many years ago. We were talking about being God’s shepherds. Mom told me she was not a good shepherd because she could not really talk about her beliefs to total strangers, or to those that she knew and would benefit from her personal relationship with God and Christ. I felt the same way. It is really difficult to share your most private feelings about any subject. However, since we have moved to Tennessee it has been different. This is most definitely the “Bible Belt”. People talk about religion and God all of the time. Most conversations end with, have a blessed day. Complete strangers just start talking about their religious beliefs. At first, I was a bit shocked but now I have settled in to this area and find it comforting to know that I am always surrounded by Christians!
You are right. Neither mom or dad prayed with us except at special meals nor did they talk to us about their faith. If they had, it would be easier for us. It is easier for me to write about it than talk and am often quiet at in-person Bible studies. However, I think that changed toward the end. I had the feeling that mom shared her faith with Vicki and through the tea ministry, ministering to the ill.
Sam is amazed that in Ocala and Marianna prayers and beliefs are voiced at government functions, but he likes that. I think it is comforting because as Jesus says in Matthew 18:20: “For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.”