This Year Also...

He spake also this parable; A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard; and he came and sought fruit thereon, and found none. Then said he unto the dresser of his vineyard, Behold, these three years I come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and find none: cut it down; why cumbereth it the ground? And he answering said unto him, Lord, let it alone this year also, till I shall dig about it, and dung it: And if it bear fruit, well: and if not, then after that thou shalt cut it down

 (Luke 13: 6-9)

Divine expectations

In this parable, God the Father and Creator is represented by the man that planted the fig tree. The vine dresser is our Lord Jesus and the tree refers to believers. The Lord God came to this fig tree with the expectation of getting something. What satisfies God about our lives is the fruit we bear. God does not rejoice in barrenness. Heaven rejoices when a person begins to bear fruits of repentance, righteousness and soul winning. God is unhappy when we are not fulfilling His purpose for our lives. His desire is that every believer and the church at large should live in purity and disciple the nations. He expects our placement in the kingdom to be productive. After every provision has been made to facilitate our fruitfulness, it becomes a surprise if we don’t bear fruit.

Think of your spiritual progress and your particular assignment from the Lord. Think of how you have fared in the past few years. How have you handled the opportunities that God gave you to grow spiritually? How have you moved into God’s agenda for your life? You need to answer these questions honestly so that you are not merely occupying space without making an impact in God’s kingdom.

Five important questions…

Where is your love for holiness?

Where is your compassion for souls?

Where is your burden for interceding for others?

Where is your passion to walk in the power of God?

Where is your thirst to fulfil God’s prophetic agenda for your life?

God is handing you another year to make adjustments and grow.    

Divine digging and dunging of a disciple

In this parable, another thing we see is the Lord Jesus pleading and interceding for the believer that is not meeting up with divine expectations. The Lord is saying that He would further facilitate the growth by digging and dunging it. This means He would create more space for the tree to grow and would also add manure.

Divine digging takes place when we engage in spiritual disciplines. It is a digging process and that’s why the process is rigorous for some. Hours spent in Bible Study, prayers, retreats and fasting are the divine means of digging your life more so that you can bear fruit. Although you are the one making yourself available, God is using these spiritual activities to dig your life.

Divine dunging refers to the provisions that God makes to help the believer become fruitful. It will take little or no effort from you. Jesus prayed for Peter without his knowledge. When God begins to raise people to intercede for you, impart spiritual blessings upon your life through others, give other people instructions for you, provide things you never prayed for, connect you with helpers of your faith and joy etc, this is God manuring your life.

Divine judgment for persistent fruitlessness

And if it bear fruit, well: and if not, then after that thou shalt cut it down

A life that doesn’t bear the fruit of repentance and righteousness will bear the opposite. Such a life will be open to the oppression of the devil and is in danger of eternal damnation if he/she does not repent from sin.

We must not receive the grace of God in vain! After all the digging and dunging experience, shall we remain the same? No. We must arise and bear fruit unto the Lord. Failure to bring forth fruit after a period of God’s waiting will lead to judgment. . Furthermore, if you don’t bear positive fruit, you become stagnant and occupy the space some willing plants need to grow.

Divine judgment in this sense comes in several ways. It could come as temporal or permanent withdrawal of ministerial privileges or gifts that have been unengaged for kingdom growth.

It could mean God replacing you with someone else to fulfil His agenda still. May we not be replaced in Jesus’ name. Amen.