The RefineryBiblical Focus: The Fruit of the Spirit
Galatians 5:22–23 (NLT)
But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!
November and December are "The Fruit." Today we stand at the center of that theme.
The key word is produces. The Holy Spirit produces this fruit. It is not manufactured by willpower. A tree does not strain to produce apples. It produces apples because it is an apple tree, rooted in good soil and connected to its source of life.
This is why the whole year began with the postures of SHAWL. Surrender, Humility, Abiding, Waiting, and Listening are not the fruit. They are the conditions in which the fruit grows. You cannot command love, joy, and peace into existence. But you can stay rooted in Christ, and the Spirit will produce them.
Notice also that it is "fruit" (singular), not "fruits." These are not nine options to choose from. They are one harvest, the character of Jesus, with nine flavors. You cannot be loving but impatient, joyful but unkind, faithful but harsh. Where the Spirit is truly at work, all nine grow together.
Here is a searching exercise: which of the nine is most visibly missing in your life? That absence is not a call to try harder. It is a clue. It points to the place where you are least surrendered, least abiding, least connected to the Vine.
The Practice of Transformation
Rate yourself honestly from 1 to 10 on each of the nine qualities. Circle the lowest. Ask God, "Where am I disconnected from You in this area?" Then ask someone close to you to rate you as well, and compare.
✦ Reflection ✦
Which fruit is most missing from your life, and what might that reveal?
Prayer: Holy Spirit, I cannot produce this fruit. Keep me rooted in Christ, and grow His character in me. Amen.
A tree doesn't strain to produce fruit. It abides.
Help Choose Our 2027 Devotional
As this year of Wrapped in His Presence comes to a close, we're praying about where the Lord is leading us next, and I'd love your help deciding. There are three possible journeys for 2027:
- Refined: The Refiner's Fire (Malachi 3:2–3)
- Abiding Fruit: From Presence to Overflow (Galatians 5:22–23)
- Wounded to Carry: The Ministry of Comfort (2 Corinthians 1:4)
Please pray over them, then vote here for the one that stirs your spirit.