JABOTICABA?

Jaboticaba Tree’ photo by Karklis Bruno CC BY-SA 4.0. 

When I saw a picture of this tree, the Brazilian Grape Tree, I immediately thought of abundance!
Look at all that fruit!  So much so that this tree produces fruit even from its trunk and branches.
Now that’s ‘going all out!’  (With full determination or enthusiasm).  
It is called a ‘superstar’ in Brazil!  It produces this amount of fruit twice a year!  In addition, the fruit is a ‘superfood’, high in nutrients and antioxidants.  It ‘contains a powerful chemical called anthocyanins, shown to prevent cardiovascular disease, and has anti-diabetic, anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial and anti-obesity effects.’  
Ka Wai Ola News.

The fruit can be eaten directly from the tree, or made into jelly, syrup, or wine.

Another plus, ‘when the tree flowers, it produces little white flowers that are extremely fragrant, ‘filling the air with an intoxicating scent letting you know that the fruit is coming!’  IFAS. Institute of Food and Agriculture Sciences, University of Florida.

This Brazilian Grape tree is the embodiment of great fruit bearing!  Looking at it inspires me, after all, we are all called to ‘bear fruit’!  Jesus spoke about fruit bearing as a metaphor to encourage and at the same time, warn His followers.  He said, “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.”  John 15:1-2.  
Obviously, fruit bearing is critical. If you don’t bear any fruit, you will be ‘cut off’.  But He also offers a beautiful alternative!  If you do bear fruit, He will help you become like the Grape Tree, ‘even more fruitful.’  

The ‘fruit’ He is speaking about is the fruit of the Spirit, the very attributes of God Himself!

‘But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.’  Galatians 5:22-23.

In other words, the more we bear fruit, the more we become like the Holy Spirit!

This is exactly what God intended us to do from the beginning!  Jesus gave us His Holy Spirit to help us become more like Him!  AND, we have this ‘glorious promise of God’, that ‘He who began (this) good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ!’  Philippians 1:6.

‘For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.’  Romans 8:29.

Even now, like the Jaboticaba when it blooms, you are ‘to God the pleasing aroma of Christ’, and we know that your fruit is coming!  2 Corinthians 2:15. 

BE A SWEET-SMELLING FRUIT BEARER!

HAPPY PRUNING!