Seventh Day Baptist
Christian Education Council
PO BOX 1678
Janesville, WI 53547
—Matthew 7:19-23
by: Margaret Taylor.
Behind my mother’s house is a large apple tree, full and beautiful in spring when covered with blossoms. Soon hundreds of tiny green apples appear. But in a few short weeks, they begin to drop off. It is not able to produce a crop far beyond its ability to support or nourish. With too many branches and too little water, the tree is not what it appears to be. Left on its own and unpruned, it cannot bear good fruit. In the hands of a true gardener, what might it produce? It makes me wonder: do I try to bear fruit on my own or am I yielding to the Lord’s pruning?