My family and I were gifted with a apple painting from my sister-in-law, Yvonne, for Christmas 2024. She gave us a pear painting this year for my BD. They together make a very lovely setting.
Relaxing in the visual of snow outside my window and hot coffee I thought to pause and enjoy Yvonne’s art and share with you.
I feel so grateful for the beauty of fruit and artist that share their gifts and talents of art.
I’ve found fruit has a way to bring my mind quickly to its spiritual benefits. My first remembrance of an apple was found in a garden with a snake, of all things, inviting others to take a bite from the apple to become great in the world! Did the mind take a couple on an Ego trip? This story in found in Genesis 3.
Interesting story with many variations of how it’s told and believed. Yet, the Apostle Paul gives us a clear view of fruit from its natural to spiritual results. Paul writes;
“So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves. The sinful nature wants to do evil, which is just the opposite of what the Spirit wants. And the Spirit gives us desires that are the opposite of what the sinful nature desires. These two forces are constantly fighting each other, so you are not free to carry out your good intentions. But when you are directed by the Spirit, you are not under obligation to the law of Moses. When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, the results are very clear: sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures, idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division, envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these. Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God.”
“But The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.” Galatians 5: 16-23
I don’t want to incorporate the fruit of the spirit in my life I want to get well acquainted with the fruit of the Spirit!
Jesus taught in Matthew 7 that we will be known by our fruit.
thedailylily.com 
Thank you for pausing and sharing Yvonne’s art and your words and scriptures with us, Sara!
Her art is beautiful and such a delight to gaze at. The apple looks so appealing and all the colors in the art so lovely…I think it illustrates the scripture you wrote, “But The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.” Galatians 5: 16-23.
I see in the art: the red as love and the flow of red as that crimson stream of the blood of Jesus that proves His love for us; joy just to behold the beauty in the art; longsuffering as all those tiny black strokes that make up the intricate pattern showing how patient God is with us; kindness shown by the artist to take time to express her gift; faithfulness that God is able to create a tiny seed and bring it to the maturity of a useful fruit; gentleness from all the colors that blend and evoke that sense; and self-control shown by the parameters/boundaries and shapes in the design that work together to make the picture.
“I don’t want to incorporate the fruit of the spirit in my life I want to get well acquainted with the fruit of the Spirit!”
I had to give this some thought and read and re-read this, Sara. It seems it’s not about trying to use these characteristics in the day to day, but bowing to and allowing the Spirit to produce them as He wills for His purposes (??). It brought to mind this scripture:
“I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.
“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.” John 15:1-8
Debi, art often tells not just a story but stories. Thanks for sharing your story.
The artist in her handwriting wrote on back of the painting, “Bible; symbol of Divine foresight. As “The Apple of God’s Eve” means we are cherished, provided for and spiritually guided in life.”
You shared your thoughts on Yvonne’s apple art as well as my word art. “I don’t want to incorporate the fruit of the spirit in my life I want to get well acquainted with the fruit of the Spirit!”
I felt deeply Paul’s words, “let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves.”
In my story it seems easy to read about the fruit of the Spirit. Talk about it! Share it! Yet, how well do I know and spent time with the Holy Spirit and let Him guide my life. The results are easy to see and grade as listed; “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.” I just want to be in a working/ sharing loving, joyful, peaceful plus relationship with Holy Spirit for all to see and not just use Him in my magic tricks when I want to look or feel good.
Good canvas art displayed properly as well as good word art tells many stories that awaken us to Hope I believe is Hope!
I want to add a thought I have in the mix of our sharing life lessons. The scripture in Matthew calling us salt and what it means when it no longer has value.
“You are the salt of the earth. But if salt loses its saltiness, how will it become salty again? It’s good for nothing except to be thrown away and trampled under people’s feet.”
Matthew 5:13 CEB
As we are showing fruit from being salty do we at times forget to close a door? Change our thinking among other ways of preserving our salt shaker? Retire? Overcome? Become a parent? Become a care giver.
As I continue my story, “I don’t want to incorporate the fruit of the spirit in my life I want to get well acquainted with the fruit of the Spirit!”
Let The Holy Spirit guide our lives and we will maintain our saltiness as well as
let your light shine before people.
“In the same way, let your light shine before people, so they can see the good things you do and praise your Father who is in heaven.”
Matthew 5:16 CEB
https://bible.com/bible/37/mat.5.16.CEB
After reading this blog, I can’t help but repeat this again…”“So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves.” There is a lot, as Christians to ponder, pray, and think on in this blog. It is so easy to just go about living our lives, maybe at times like Sara mentioned above….”As we are showing fruit from being salty do we at times forget to close a door? ” Sara’s statement shared above instructs us to be lead by the Holy Spirit….🙏🙏🙏🙏when you read this list shared above..”When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, the results are very clear: sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures, idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division, envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these.” It sure does cause one to stop and pray and ask the Holy Spirit to guide our lives.
Beautiful painting shared above! 🍎 🍏
Thanks Tammy, for studying and sharing. Today, is Inauguration Day in America. It’s happened at this moment one president exist the door and another enters. I was watching TV off and on as the ceremony was taking place. Guest arrived to support and be a part of. As I was listening and pondering what this might mean to us as a nation I read your quote. “do we at times forget to close a door”?
Then my sister sent me this, “Life is like a book: some chapters are sad some happy. and some exciting.
But if you never turn the page. you will never know what the next chapter holds.” I thought maybe we should practice accepting celebrations, sharing with one another the closing of a door as we open a new one.
“As I was listening and pondering what this might mean to us as a nation I read your quote. “do we at times forget to close a door”?
Then my sister sent me this, “Life is like a book: some chapters are sad some happy. and some exciting.
But if you never turn the page. you will never know what the next chapter holds.” I thought maybe we should practice accepting celebrations, sharing with one another the closing of a door as we open a new one.”
Thank you for your timely sharing of what your sister wrote, Sara, and for your wisdom words to heed following. You have a real gift of weaving it all together for us. Your posted advice on doors, Sara, reminded me of this from Psalm 84:10, “I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of wickedness.” Doorkeepers know when to open and when to close; and who to open for and who to close on.