THE CHRISTIAN FAITH REQUIRES THAT the life of Christ is planted and cultivated in the life of the believer. Our Lord Jesus reminds us of this in Luke 13, where we find the story of a fruitless fig tree, having gone years without any signs of life or vitality. In this way, it has failed to be and do the very thing it was made to do: bear fruit! In the eyes of the owner, it is nothing more than a waste of good soil (Luke 13:7). And yet the gardener asks for more time, believing that the potential for life is still contained deep within. “He replied, ‘Sir, let it alone for one more year, until I dig around it and put manure on it. If it bears fruit next year, well and good; but if not, you can cut it down’” (Luke 13:8-9).

Jesus Christ, sees us in our fruitless state and does not stand by, indifferent and aloof. Rather, he enters the orchard of our lives and longs to see us become what we were made to be in the very beginning. He reveals to us the way of health, one defined by good soil and rich nutrients. As Christ draws near to us this Lent, will we respond in faith, delighting ourselves in the goodness of his presence (Isa 55:2) and receiving his expert care, not for our harm, but for our healing and ultimate good?

Inhabit (a devotional journal for Lent by Dwell)