a lesson in grafting

We went to look for some property south of Wenatchee Washington ... more on that another day. On the property adjacent of the one we were looking at, they were doing something that is rather common in these parts: grafting. When the original fruit tree gets too old to bear fruit, you could just pull the whole thing out and plant a whole new plant. What is done instead, is the old tree is cut down and new shoots are stuck into the old stump; after awhile the new shoots grow into the old stump, and you can't even tell that they were apart at one time!

This is how it is when we get saved! Isn't that cool? God used a TON of analogies in Scripture - and grafting-in is one of them. When we are un-saved, living in sin, it's terrible! Then God shows us what His Son did, for us, and we repent and turn to Him. Our old-self is then cut down, and God puts His shoots in us - to grow and produce fruit! (as in, the Fruit of the Spirit) What should happen is, God should totally consume our lives, that others can't even tell that we were once a part of this awful sinning world. Unfortunately, there is no way to become perfect here on this earth, yet we still press toward the goal of following His commands; producing His fruit that others might see that we are His children.

There is also another analogy for grafting in - when we get saved, we become a member of God's family. We are no longer gentiles, outsiders, goyim. We are His children!!! Forever! To go and live with Him in Heaven as part of His family. Don't we serve the most amazing and wonderful God?! Sometimes I wonder why on earth He cares that much about me ... it's the greatest gift that I could ever get.

(P.S. in the photo, they paint the stump white ... don't ask me why, but that's what that is in case you were wondering.)