June 2, 2006
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Random Meditations
Inscrutable
Half the time, I feel like the Bible is just plain inscrutable. Not in the throw-your-hands-up-in-the-air “forget it” “I give up on it completely” sort of way — but more like, “and how could this be true?” “this defies human reason” sort of way.
For example, this morning, I was meditating on Luke 9:23-24, “…whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it.” ???
– which reminded me of the song, “O the wonderful cross, bids me come and die and find that I may truly live.” ???
I remember singing this song on one of my mission trips and having a great epiphany based on tangible experience (not just theoretical). To die is to truly live in God’s economy. Sometimes when you’re on the field, you feel like you are truly dying. But looking back, you just know that that was probably the only time that you truly lived.
One fruit?
I’ve been praying over the Fruit of the Spirit (Gal 5:22) for the last few days. “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control…” I love asking God to cause these things to flow from me. But… one thing I’ve been wondering in the back of my mind — why is it “fruit of the Spirit” and not “fruits”?
Think About It
I’ve also been praying over Phil 4:8. Lord, please help me to think about “…whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, wahtever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable–…anything…excellent or praiseworthy…“ And I realized something… (duh) GOD is all of these things. He emobdies every one of these things. So in essence, I’ve been praying, “Lord, please help me to think of You — to fill my mind with thoughts of You….adoration of You.”
Comments (4)
The plural of fruit can also be just. . . fruit.
It would probably be best to ask someone who knows Greek to explain further.
good thoughts mary ann..
(btw, its singular in greek. but the singular for that word is often used collectively [cf. Matt. 12:33].)
thanks mary ann for sharing thoughts … still in the process of forming. hope y’all are having a great time today.
Hey MA! I am so impressed that you noticed that it was “fruit” and not “fruits” — that was a major point of a Tim Keller sermon that I listened to last year and still remember. The take away: the “fruit of the spirit” implies that Christian change is gradual, inevitable, internal, and symmetrical.
You can still listen to it (“How to Change”) at: http://www.redeemer2.com/about/values/index.cfm?fuseaction=changedpeople