Devotional – February 25, 2021

I love fruits!!! Do you? Have you ever taken the time to take in the beauty of a well arranged fruit basket, or look at a fruit stand at the market, or supermarket? The varied shapes, sizes and colours of the various fruits are a sight to behold. Oh how beautiful, and when you indulge, usually very tasty too. The Word of God speaks much about “fruits”; in particular: “good fruit”. The word “good” is defined as: To be desired or approved of. Having the qualities required for a particular role. Jesus spoke to His Disciples about “bearing fruit”. Further, He assured them that their existence was not on their own account; instead, it was the will of God; He sought also to help them to understand the goal they should strive for to have the qualities that make them reflect the image of God.

You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit-fruit that will last…

St. John 15:16a

Today, the topic of our devotional is Good Fruit. You will hear the testimonies of the three women who God chose to inspire the vision of The Virtuous Woman Project. On the glorious day: April 9, 2005, all three women were together when the Holy Spirit visited and called them to Holy Service. While being clueless about what the future would hold, they were all powered by varying degrees of faith and obedience. One thing was sure; it is that: they did not choose God, but God Himself chose them, and why?

…so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you.

St. John 15:16b

What is amazing as we all reflect on how our journey began and how it has progressed over time. God is faithful to His word; we have learned that not one of them will pass away without being fulfilled. After fifteen, almost sixteen years, we are all super confident that truly God did choose us; we are His Queens, and He is our King. Through the process of being Transformed, He has given us the gift of Beautiful Eyes and teaches us to bear Good Fruit. We do not profess to be perfect; what we profess is that God’s love is perfect, and His faithfulness towards His children is unchanging.

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GOOD FRUITS BY ELAINE

I am excited about the progress we are making in our efforts to make The Case for Virtue. As we continue to dive into the Word of God, today we are talking about Fruits. As we all know, fruit are a very important part of our diet; according to research, fruits are an excellent source of essential vitamins and minerals, and they are high in fiber. Fruits also provide a wide range of health-boosting antioxidants, including flavonoids. Eating a diet high in fruits and vegetables can reduce a person’s risk of developing heart disease, cancer, inflammation, and diabetes. I eat a bowl of a variety of fruits each morning before breakfast; I hope I will enjoy the nutritional benefits of doing so.

In Scripture, Jesus emphasized the importance of bearing fruit.  I believe that He made reference to fruit because it is the product of a planted seed that grows into a tree which produces the fruit of the seed. I remembered at the beginning of my journey with God, I had no idea what it would be like; I answered God’s call by faith and strived to walk in obedience for five years without having the full understanding of what I was being prepared for.

During the earlier days, I was lead to read the book of St. John; I got to Chapter 15 and read these words of Jesus about being chosen to bear fruit that remains; it was at that point  that I started to see the practicality of the Word of God. The journey with God led me through a transformation process by the reading and application of the Word. I came to see myself as I really was, and realized how I was being affected by sin. Through prayer, and with the help of the Holy Spirit, I experienced gradual changes in my character; I was being transformed on a daily basis.

In writing and reading the Daily Devotionals, and exploring the character of the Virtuous Woman, I now have a deeper sense of purpose. I am seeing more clearly through the eyes of God, and my faith is increasing. I know now more than ever before that change will only come to our world when we, as women seek to surrender ourselves to be transformed into the image of Christ, and bear the fruit of the Spirit. What are these fruits?

But the fruit of the Spirit is love joy peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, self-control. Against such there is no law.

Galatians 5:22-23

When we allow the Holy Spirit to plant a seed of faith in our heart, then the Fruit of the Spirit will be borne in our lives. Our prayers will be effective, and as it is written: whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive it, if you have faith. (St. Matthew 21:22.). The prayer of a transformed woman can change the lives of her family members, her community, her country and the world. Let us therefore continue to surrender daily to the will and purpose of the King so that our lives can impact the lives of others then they too can start their process of transformation.

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GOOD FRUITS BY INEKE

The past few days, the devotional topics have been quite profound; we’ve read about The Queen and Her King, Transformed and Beautiful Eyes. As I reflect on these topics in relation to the reality of being “Chosen by God”, I am realizing that to walk by the spirit means becoming one with all that God has called me to be as a Virtuous Woman.

When I realized that God had called and chosen me to do the good works He prepared in advanced for me to do in His Kingdom, I must admit that I felt I was not ready. I believed that God had made a mistake. Soon, I realized that God never makes mistakes. The moment of my conception was planned perfectly; He already knew the role I would play. Not knowing this, I ran away from God’s call and realizing that I was getting nowhere far, I turned back to Him.

Upon returning to the arms of my King, He proceeded to purge me of what was holding me back, replacing it with His wholesome fruits; this was my process of transformation which is still ongoing. It’s comforting to know that I was created to bear fruits- good fruits. Being able to bear the fruits of the spirit by exercising faith in God is an awesome experience. I discovered that bearing these fruits is a work in progress. It must be seen as a daily walk; I know now that this is the only way God can truly work in and through me.

In creating us, our Heavenly Father already knew the reason for our existence. He deposited gifts, traits and attributes that would equip us to be who He desires for us to be on a spiritual level. We have the gift of His word, the manual of life that teaches us about the kind of fruits we should bear. They are all that we need in order to walk, serve and live for Him in every way. According to Scripture, these are the Good Fruits we were called, and chosen to bear:

But the fruits of the Spirit are: love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self control. Against such things there is no law.

Galatians 22-23

Truly, I did not choose God because I did not know Him; He chose Me, and He has chosen you too from the inception of time. His plan is for us all to bear Good Fruits within our hearts and be the example He needs us to be so we can draw others unto Him. By ourselves, we cannot bear Good Fruits; yet, if we abide in the Vine, Who is Jesus Christ, then we will bear them, and our fruits will remain.

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