Deuteronomy 8:7-9a
“For the Lord your God is bringing you into a good land—a land with streams and pools of water, with springs flowing in the valleys and hills; a land with wheat and barley, vines and fig trees, pomegranates, olive oil and honey; a land where bread will not be scarce and you will lack nothing…”

Matthew 7:16-17
“By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles?  Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit.”

Galatians 5:22-23a
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control…”

Jehovah God, who leads us forward into spacious places, you have planted us in a beautiful land.

Despite our barren, wandering ways you have blessed us with regeneration by your Spirit.  Your providing hand nurtures life—we blossom and ripen because we are filled by you.

May the fruit that we bear be rich in love, tasting of the promised Spirit.  Let us be orchards of joy and peace in your kingdom.

For the sake of Jesus we pray, who bore a season of suffering to bring us a harvest of salvation.

Listen to ‘O Lord, I Will Delight in Thee’ by Luke Morton