September 8, Morning

C. H. Spurgeon · Modern retelling

"From Me is thy fruit found." — Hosea 14:8 · KJV

Our fruit is found from our God, first as to union. The fruit of the branch is directly traceable to the root; sever the connection, and the branch dies, and no fruit is produced. It is by virtue of our union with Christ that we bear fruit. Every bunch of grapes was first in the root, passed through the stem, flowed through the sap vessels, and shaped itself into fruit; but it was first in the stem. So every good work was first in Christ, and then is brought forth in us. O Christian, prize this precious union with Christ, for it must be the source of all the fruitfulness you can ever hope to know; were you not joined to Jesus Christ, you would be a barren branch indeed. Our fruit comes from God, too, as to spiritual providence. When the dewdrops fall from heaven, when the cloud looks down from on high and is about to pour out its liquid treasure, when the bright sun swells the berries of the cluster, each heavenly gift may whisper to the tree, "From Me is thy fruit found." The fruit owes much to the root — that is essential to fruitfulness — but it owes very much, too, to outward influences. How much we owe to God's grace-providence, in which He constantly supplies us with quickening, teaching, comfort, strength, or whatever else we need! To this we owe all our usefulness and virtue. Our fruit comes from God, as well, through wise husbandry. The gardener's sharp knife promotes the tree's fruitfulness by thinning the clusters and cutting off needless shoots; and so it is, Christian, with the pruning the Lord gives you. "My Father is the husbandman. Every branch in Me that beareth not fruit He taketh away; and every branch that beareth fruit, He purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit." Since our God is the author of our spiritual graces, let us give Him all the glory of our salvation.