A tree is identified by its fruit. If a tree is good, its fruit will be good. If a tree is bad, its fruit will be bad.
Matthew 12:33 (NLT)
Lord Jesus, as I start this day off, embracing it in all of its beauty, loving You and spellbound by not only its intricate wonder but also how You seamlessly wove every element together to make this a beautiful habitation, my mind goes to Psalm 116:12, “What shall I render to the LORD for all his benefits to me?” Indeed, how can I repay You for all the glorious things You have done for me? I cannot, though I shall spend the rest of my life trying to convey my gratitude to You for what You have done for me. I am blessed beyond measure, my cup running over, my heart filled with joy! You indeed are a WONDER!
Lord, I ask first for Your forgiveness. I know that I regularly fall short of Your standard, oftentimes seeking to do things my way and bypassing Your righteousness. I let people get under my skin, circumstances to rile me up, my broken passions to get the best of me – the list goes on. When I pull it all together and lay it on the table before me, the stench is real. The sins are deep. I fall short regularly. Even when I would do good, my good is not good enough. Please forgive me! Cleanse me! Make me whole!
I thank You for being not only a prayer answering God but a sin forgiving God! I thank You for the precious promise that if I confess my sins You WILL forgive me of them and cleanse me of ALL unrighteousness (1 John 1:9)! I cling to that promise, knowing how tore up I am. I rush to the cross regularly to find the mercy You have promised all who call upon Your Name. Thank You for being always there and always waiting to hear from me!
So today, I ask that You would fill me with Your Spirit afresh and anew, enabling me to let the light that You have ignited in my soul to shine for all to see. Give me seeds to sow in the lives of those around me, loving unconditionally, forgiving unwaveringly, encouraging unceasingly. Enable me to leave Your fingerprints on the lives of those I come into contact with, revealing all aspects of You that are overflowing out of me. Don’t let the world see me, for I am but a branch grafted into You, my glorious Tree. Instead show them You through me to Your glory. Amen.