Fruit
I am the Lord. I watch over my vineyard.
I water it all the time.
I guard it day and night.
I do it so no one can harm it. ~ Isaiah 27:3 (NIRV)
Jesus said, "You are my true disciples when you produce a lot of fruit. Bearing much fruit brings much glory to God my Father." ~ John 15:8 (ABP)
Lord, it is your vineyard. And we are the branches growing on your vine. Thank you for putting me in such an interesting garden. Sometimes I ditz around and don't really get to the business of producing fruit. I've got so many other things that I'm trying to do with my life. So help me to focus on what is really important -- bearing fruit for you. I know that you are going to watch over and care for your branches. I'm going to live as a true fruit-bearing disciple. Amen.
TRANSLATIONS
ABP = Authorized Boydston Paraphrase — my own freestyle biblical adaptation — somewhere between paraphrase, commentary, and sermon
CEB = Common English Bible (©2011, the Common English Bible)
CEV = Contemporary English Version (©1995, American Bible Society)
MSG = The Message (©1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene H. Peterson)
NIRV = New International Reader's Version (©1996, 1998, Biblica)
NIV = New International Version (©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011, Biblica)
NLT = New Living Translation (©1996, 2004, 2007, 2013, Tyndale House Foundation)
