IMMEDIATE ACTION REQUIRED

 

When the Lord calls us to action the time to respond is now. This call to action can vary greatly, depending on where you are in your spiritual journey. This call to action could be a simple call to surrender your life to Him. This call to action could be a call to take a giant leap of faith and step out to do something or go somewhere far from home. This call to action could be to have that long avoided tough conversation with a friend or family member. Whatever the case, when He calls, we must act.

Jesus shares a parable in Luke 13:6-9. It is the story of a fig tree, and unproductive fig tree to be exact. For three years the land owner has come by the tree looking for figs. Each of the three years the land owner has found the tree to be unproductive. Finally he says to the vinedresser, “Look, for three years now I have come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and I find none. Cut it down. Why should it use up the ground?” (v. 7). The vinedresser, however, is not ready to give up. He says to the land owner, “Sir, let it alone this year also, until I dig around it and put on manure” (v. 8).

Jesus does not interpret this parable for us. However, the content of the story would indicate that Jesus is referencing Micah 7 and Isaiah 5. These passages are referring to Israel’s failure to recognize her season of opportunity to respond to the Lord. With this in mind, the point of the story becomes very clear to us. We must respond to the Lord in due season. When His call is clear, we must respond in obedience.

I do not want to miss the element of grace in this story as well. The land owner was done with the fig tree. He was ready to cut the tree down and haul it off to the burn pile. However, his hired vine dresser made a plea for one more year and the land owner agreed. Though the tree had been unproductive until now, it was given another chance. You may be aware of a pattern of disobedience in your own life. However, God is a God of grace. It is never too late to recognize our mistakes, adjust our course, and begin walking in obedience.