A Lesson in Divine Produce

Early one day I was walking through the 59th Street/ Columbus Circle Station. I was already late for work and was trying to get through the station as fast as possible. As I was walking towards the stairs to get off the platform, I saw a man digging through the trash. I felt bad that he was looking for food, but I just didn’t have time to think about it. My mind was too preoccupied with work. As I approached the stairs, the Lord spoke to me saying, give him one of your oranges. My steps slowed and I said to the Lord, “Really, but I’m late”. I convinced myself that it was a self generate thought and picked up the pace to the stairs. Again the Lord said, “ Give him one of your oranges”. Again, my steps slowed down and I said to the Lord, “ But God, I’m late…. and this is all I’ll have to eat for the day…. the stairs are right there.” But the Lord repeated His words and as my left foot hit the first step, I bowed my head and said, “Okay God, I’ll obey You”. I quickly turned around and headed towards the man. I stopped near the trash can He was digging through, reached in my bag for one of the two oranges I had and said, “Excuse me Sir, would you like an orange”. He paused for a moment, never allowing for his hand to leave the trash can; looked me up and down and said, “NO”. He turned his head and continued to dig through the trash.

Upset, I raced back to the stairs and asked God, “Why did you allow me to waste my time, you knew he wasn’t going to take the orange. Did you just want to make sure that I would be obedient?” The Lord was silent and I was not happy about it. I got out of the station and raced across the street. Stomping now from the frustration of being late. It was then that I heard the Lord say, “ Do you know how often I offer people good fruit and they turn it down, imagine how I feel”. I paused for a moment to think about what the Lord told me. It is so very true! How often does the Lord offer us the best in life and we still want garbage. We turn down the wonderful things He has for our lives.

Don’t look in the trash when you can have the wonderful things that God is offering you. Praise God for good fruit! O taste and see that the LORD is good (Psalm 34:8)!