The Life-giving Vineyard

Like many Old Testament prophets, much of their voice was of warning (seemingly almost always ignored) until discipline came ... even my youngest daughter at age 7 recognizes the patience of God in His Word, as trials and disaster often came after generations of disobedience ...

Today as I was reading, I was yet again reminded of this character of God ... not only is He patient, but He has actively and specifically created an environment where we could have thrived. Listen as Isiah speaks for God about Judah ...

' Let me sing for my beloved my love song concerning his vineyard: My beloved had a vineyard on a very fertile hill. He dug it and cleared it of stones, and planted it with choice vines; he built a watchtower in the midst of it, and hewed out a wine vat in it; and he looked for it to yield grapes, but it yielded wild grapes. And now, O inhabitants of Jerusalem and men of Judah, judge between me and my vineyard. What more was there to do for my vineyard, that I have not done in it? When I looked for it to yield grapes, why did it yield wild grapes?' - Isaiah 5:1-4

While the fruit reaped from Judah should have been good, it was sour ... and wild; rebellious. God actively (not passively) did everything that was necessary, and provided all provision needed for His people to thrive ... yet they wandered and squandered His blessings and in exchange produced a foul crop.

Reminds me of a passage from 2 Peter ...

'His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire. ' - 2 Peter 1:3-4

God has given us all things that are needed to live a godly life ... including and namely the Holy Spirit ... to produce good grapes ...

So are we? So am I?

May I treasure this life-giving vineyard He has planted me in, care and tend it well, and allow the vine dresser to prune me as needed to yield a bounty for His Kingdom ...

His,
~Matt