Wisdom's Corner
Grow into a Noble Vine

Have you ever planted a seed? Perhaps you planted some apple seeds. You expected an apple tree to grow and give you apples. Or maybe you planted some corn seed (kernels) and expected some good corn to grow. You were all excited about being able to eat whatever grew from what you planted.

One of the things that the Israelites planted were grape seeds. They expected very good vines to grow and produce lots of delicious grapes.

But sometimes something goes wrong. Maybe there isn't enough rain. Or maybe the soil is not very good. Or maybe those taking care of the garden do not take care of it the way they should. Whatever the reason, the plant does not grow the way it should. And therefore, it does not produce good fruit. The plant may look sickly or deformed.

God says this happened to the Israelites. In Jeremiah 2:21 we read, "Yet I planted thee a noble vine, wholly a right seed: how then art thou turned into the degenerate plant of a strange vine unto me?"

Spiritually God had planted the right seed in the Israelites. But they had not grown to be the spiritual plant that God wanted them to be. They had not allowed themselves to be watered by God's word. They had allowed themselves to become the wrong kind of soil. And they had not taken care to teach themselves and their children what they should do to keep out weeds from their spiritual garden.

You must make sure that you do not become a sickly plant. You have been studying God's word which is the seed. But if you do not keep studying and learning what God wants you to do, you will become a sickly and deformed plant. God wants you to be a noble vine with plenty of good fruit.

Until next time, keep reading and studying to get God's wisdom. If any of this is hard to understand, ask an adult to help you.

Mark McWhorter

Copyright 1998

Published by The Old Paths Bible School
(http://www.oldpaths.org)