A Promise Lives Within You Now
- bryceggorrell
- 3 days ago
- 3 min read
In bitter-sweet irony, a key principle for life is illustrated by looking to nature.
As lonely travelers on this beautiful yet fallen Earth, we have been charged to labor for the support of our families—to eat our bread in the sweat of our own face.
We are responsible to utilize whatever resources are available to us to honestly toil, growing stronger in our faith and determination to raise ourselves and others around us to a higher enjoyment of the gifts we receive from above.
God and His inspired prophets have used fruit as an important symbol in many instances.
How He wants us to enjoy the fruits of our labors! How He wants to receive us back into His kingdom as worthy and enduring fruit! How He works, diligently tending and cultivating, sparing no effort to shape us into something more than suffocating undergrowth!
We can mistake rapid growth for success in our work. Though branches are needed, it is the fruit that must grow.
A mighty tree can look impressive, but its worth is defined by its fruit.
To grow the best fruit, the plant must not be allowed to grow any way it seems inclined.
From time to time, it must be pruned and purged.
The opportunities to do good things far outpaces our ability to do them all.
We must periodically take a step back from our own "tree," and refresh our minds with an overall view of our progress.
Rather than smugly sending every branch to continue on in its chosen way, we must take charge. Every so often, we must prune, and purge, and plan.
Knowing that the end result is worth the momentary pain of right restraint, we are wise to seek for areas of our time, attention, and effort that are worth removing.
Some of these branches are suitable to be carefully laid aside, to be grafted back into our tree at a later, appropriate time. Their potential for fruit is not altogether lacking. But for the present, they must be disregarded in favor of more pressing problems.
Still, some branches are best treated by casting into the fire, never to be taken up again.
As they are developing early on, it can be difficult to distinguish which of these branches will turn into truly fruitful flowering additions to our tree.
Often, their relative value appears to us only as they begin to mature, since, as we've seen, good and bad branches are defined by the kind of fruit they produce.
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I encourage you to continue on in those things you know to be most important.
Foremost is your determination to become as much like the Savior, Jesus Christ, as you can.
Follow Him. Worship Him. Emulate His example. Apply His teachings. Obey His words. Sustain His chosen servants. Build your foundation upon Him. Refuse the flattery of the world. Keep your heart set upon the things of God.
Seek not for riches, but for wisdom. Those who have eternal life are rich indeed.
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May it be an evening star
Shines down upon you
May it be when darkness falls
Your heart will be true
You walk a lonely road
Oh, how far you are from home
Mornie utulie (Darkness has come)
Believe and you will find your way
Mornie alantie (Darkness has fallen)
A promise lives within you now
May it be the shadow's call will fly away
May it be your journey on to light the day
When the night is overcome
You may rise to find the sun
Mornie utulie
Believe and you will find your way
Mornie alantie
A promise lives within you now
A promise lives within you now.
