Listen

“The gardener responded, ‘Lord, give it one more year, and I will dig around it and give it fertilizer. Maybe it will produce fruit next year; if not, then you can cut it down.’”

Luke 13:8-9

Think

A friend once gave me a beautiful orchid in a lovely flowerpot. I killed it. Or I thought I did. The flower fell off the stem, and it looked like a dead twig planted in a nice pot. I almost threw it away, but for some reason, I gave it to my grandmother. To my surprise, my grandmother worked her magic, and it became, once again, a beautiful flower.

Today’s Scripture describes a tree with no fruit — just a big twig planted in the ground, taking up space. At least, that’s what it looked like. But the gardener wasn’t ready to throw it out. The gardener knew that the tree still had the ability to bloom; it just needed time and tender loving care.

If you’ve ever felt like the tree in this story, there is hope! Like the gardener, Jesus will not give up on you. Jesus loves you, is patient with you, and knows exactly what you need. Keep your eyes on Jesus today and trust that he is not finished with you.

Dixie Ford

Pray

God, thank you for not giving up on me. Please help me not give up on myself. Amen.

Go

As you go, hear the words of Jesus,

encouraging you on your journey:

“Look, I myself will be with you every day.” (Matthew 28:20)