The Fruit of the Spirit is...Peace

Lovely bananas, vibrant with color and sweet to taste. Fruit, both natural and spiritual, is a wonderful thing!

I'm still working on Sunday's message regarding the fruit of peace in our lives. I'm becoming convinced that the fruit of the Spirit is about two things, primarily. It's about roots going down into the soil of God's love, and it's about removing the hindrances to the fruit. As I've said before, if God's Spirit lives in me, and my roots are healthy and planted in good "soil" then fruit will come, in time.

What hinders God's peace in our lives?

Well, the list is long, of course. But I'm thinking it may condense to two main things, fear and stubbornness (pride?)!

Peace comes when we trust and obey. Like the old song, "Trust and Obey."

This song gives a simple ex­pla­na­tion of liv­ing the Christ­ian life. The ti­tle ex­press­ion was used in a test­i­mo­ny meet­ing, fol­low­ing an evan­gel­is­tic cru­sade by Dwight L. Mo­ody. A young man stood to speak, and it soon be­came clear he knew lit­tle Christ­ian doc­trine. But he fin­ished by say­ing, I'm not quite sure, but I'm go­ing to trust, and I'm go­ing to obey. Dan­iel Town­er, who was in the meet­ing, jot­ted down the words, and gave them to John Sam­mis, who de­vel­oped the lyr­ics from them.

I think that young man was on to something!

TRUST AND OBEY

When we walk with the Lord in the light of His Word, What a glory He sheds on our way! While we do His good will, He abides with us still,And with all who will trust and obey.

Refrain

Trust and obey, for there's no other way,
To be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.

Not a shadow can rise, not a cloud in the skies, But His smile quickly drives it away; Not a doubt or a fear, not a sigh or a tear, Can abide while we trust and obey.

Not a burden we bear, not a sorrow we share, But our toil He doth richly repay;
Not a grief or a loss, not a frown or a cross, But is blessed if we trust and obey.

But we never can prove the delights of His love, Until all on the altar we lay;
For the favor He shows, for the joy He bestows, Are for them who will trust and obey.

Then in fellowship sweet we will sit at His feet. Or we'll walk by His side in the way. What He says we will do, where He sends we will go; Never fear, only trust and obey.
_____________________________

Trust the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.
Proverbs 3:5

Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid. The LORD, the LORD, is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation
Isa 12:2

This is what the Sovereign LORD, the Holy One of Israel, says: "In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength..." Isa 30:15

Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. John 14:1

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Romans 15:13

In that day they will say, "Surely this is our God; we trusted in him, and he saved us. This is the LORD, we trusted in him; let us rejoice and be glad in his salvation.
Isa 25:9

Actually, there seems to be a corrolation with trust and JOY as well. All the spiritual fruit is connected. Like a bunch of bananas? (Ha! Got that in there.)