Thursday, August 7, 2008

Spirit-Fruit (with credit to understanding gained from Stott's "Baptism and Fullness")

Love, Joy, and Peace, fruits so sweet to me,
O my God, fill me full, and let these identify this tree.
Plant me firm near Your Spirit's flow,
In soil rich, ensuring this tree will grow.
In order to bear these fruit, Your seeds I sow
Deep in my heart, among my people, that all might know
That You own all of what is seen, unless perverted, the Wicked's scheme.

May I steward shrewdly, the fruit, in time, I bear,
That men may see the light I shine, at which they, puzzled, stare,
That they might praise You for the deeds I do,
That I might, in humility, do this too,

May Your love be in my heart,
May You, to my soul, joy impart,
May Your peace, in my mind, ne'er depart
Thy will be done, as from the start.

Then the next, succulent, O to taste the few,
Patience, Kindness, and Goodness too,
They hurt when grown, during storms no doubt,
To endure others' troubles and love without [reserve]
To not just endure, but ensure no bitterness sprouts [for neither love do you deserve].
Then, to be sure, one must hope to serve,
Not inactively, but to bless with more than words,
A heart disposed to act from what the mind has observed,
Moving kindness to goodness (the work for which your soul was reserved).

Three more, of course, are born in time,
In fact, these three must be for the others' prime,
Gentleness, Faithfulness, and Self-Control,
They come so the other six might hold
And not fall from the tree before ripening to maturity.
They are like the divine boundary,
To keep oneself from floundering,
They protect the godliness of one,
By maintaining until the finish what already begun.
They shield the humble from the rot of pride,
They damper the zealot, and make unjust anger hide,
They demonstrate loyalty and dedicated[ness],
By helping one run the race so the prize will not be missed.
They bridle the tongue, passions, and appetites,
They secure one's future, in the Lord it's bright.
May His face shine on us, and our fruit glean His light.

God bless you in Jesus' name

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