Autumn No More

Autumn is a beautiful season in New England. Verdant tree leaves are transformed into a burst of deep reds, rich shades of orange, crimson reds and radiant yellows.

Today the cold wind snapped off dying leaves and tossed them all over the quiet country road. We visited a local farm where we sat on hill sipping hot cider and coffee. Below was a pumpkin patch. The bright orange squash dotted the landscape with various shapes and sizes. My body relaxed and I took in a deep breath. The air was pungent with the scent of decaying leaves with a hint of smoke and damp soil. Winter was around the corner!

I was reminded of the Scripture describing those who fully trust Him. "They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit." (Jeremiah 17:8 NIV).

There is no autumn for the believer whose roots go deep into the soil of His word. They draw up and into their spirit the necessary nutrients and water. No matter the season the believer remains green. Unlike many of the trees we saw that although alive appeared quite dead with all the leaves stripped bare.

As believers its not enough to have green leaves but we must bear fruit. Jesus was hungry and seeing a fig tree with green leaves discovered it had no fruit (Matthew 21:19). He cursed the tree and it withered. Autumn came quickly for this tree. Jesus was cursing a religious system of His day that was about performance and pretense. Of lip service and outward rituals but left the people hungry and unfilled. And it's a warning to us today. Bearing fruit means pruning and cultivation (John 15:2) and abiding or staying connected to Christ (verse 5).

Beloved, should our spiritual life seem dry and lifeless we must draw near to Him. He promises to pull us closer to His side (James 4:8). We can not refuse the pruning work of the Holy Spirit though it may be painful. Our families and friends should come under our shade from the heat of the day and eat of the fruit the Lord produces in us (see Galatians 5:22-23 for a list of Spirit cultivated fruit).

No more autumn spiritual life but spring all year long!