Recently I was slicing up some fresh strawberries. Seriously, is there anything that says “YAAAY for Summer!” better than a plate of fresh strawberries? Sweet, juicy, and in a word: scrumptious! My big basket of berries had already been ripening in the refrigerator for a few days. “They won’t last long,” I thought, so I grabbed a bowl and a paring knife.
As soon as I took them out of the frig, I thought, “Hmmm, what do I see? A basket of summer fruit—somewhat over-ripe fruit, I’m afraid.” Just a day or two before, these berries were almost perfect—just needing to ripen a bit. Now, some had brown, mushy spots that I had to cut away—and a few berries on the top were already too far gone to use. “What a shame.” I had waited for them to be just right, but … I waited too long to enjoy them. However, as I sorted through the rest of the berries—wonder of wonders—I found a few, buried underneath the bad ones, that were PERFECT! I thought, “I’m so glad I didn’t take one look at this basket of berries and toss them ALL away. I would’ve missed the BEST ones.”
Some of you are already thinking of the object lesson that God gave the prophet Amos. He wrote: “Here is what [Adonai ELOHIM] showed me: there in front of me was a basket of summer fruit. He asked, ‘Amos, what do you see?’ I answered, ‘A basket of summer fruit.’ Then ADONAI said to me, ‘The end has come … ‘“ (Amos 8:1-2 CJB)
Summer fruit—fresh peaches, pears, berries, and melon. Yum! Similarly, what would be considered summer fruits in the Middle Eastern lands of the Bible would include figs, grapes, and pomegranates. Wherever they’re grown—once harvested—summer fruits can bruise easily, need to be handled carefully, and they don’t usually last long. Any random basket of them would, no doubt, contain some at the very peak of freshness … along with perhaps a few past peak.
Many of us that have lived a while, through more than a few seasonal cycles, have worked long and hard to cultivate a fruitful and productive life. We have labored to not just grow in God’s garden—simply occupying space and soaking up sunlight—but to produce fruit. Something good, sweet, and wholesome to bless our LORD but also others within reach of the fruit we bear. It is deep within us to desire to contribute—to have something GOOD to bring to the table.
However, after all the years of giving, we look at our lives. We assess our offering NOW, and we say with tears, “What do You see, LORD? A basket of summer fruit? Is there anything good left in my basket? Have I allowed myself to become easily bruised? Have I waited too long for my fruit to ripen? Have I withheld from sharing my fruit, thinking it wasn’t good enough?”
Certainly, as the years pass, some of the skills and talents and ideas we’ve carried in our “basket” are now considered past peak. No longer desired or good for much, we feel, and yes! … some attitudes and opinions probably should be cut away. So, we’re tempted to DISCARD the whole lot … but wait! Say with me: “LORD Jesus, as you gently sort through my offering, is there something still fresh in my basket? Is there anything You can still USE? Something that perhaps was overlooked, but is still good—even at peak right NOW—that could be used for YOUR glory, not mine?”
If You can use anything, LORD
You can use me …
Take my hands, LORD, and my feet
Touch my heart, LORD,
Speak through me.
If You can use anything, LORD,
YOU CAN USE ME.
Susannah “Susie” Spurgeon was the wife of the renowned “Prince of Preachers,” Charles H. Spurgeon. To this day, his fame remains way above par, although Susie is not as well known. But, she should be. While her husband pastored Metropolitan Tabernacle in London—preaching one masterpiece message after another—his wife was often too ill to attend church herself. She might’ve felt that she had missed her calling, not being an active helpmate at his side—and perhaps others misjudged her glaring absence in his public ministry. Maybe so, but she knew she was not physically able to offer the support that her famous husband deserved.
However, Susie’s actions far out-spoke her feelings. Even in her illness—while bedridden and alone—she took it upon herself to have her husband’s sermons published and bound into books. Thousands of them. She established a Book Fund for the purpose of distributing those books to poor pastors who needed good resources but lacked the funds to build up their own libraries. Charles Spurgeon’s powerful voice in the world of Christian literature is still strong—his masterful sermons still resonate today with believers worldwide. Perhaps that is due less to him and more to the faithful labors of his invalid wife who preserved them for us all. Even after his death, she carried on her work of inspiration and blessing, by becoming a widely read author herself. Like Jesus’ memorial of the woman in Mark 14:8: “She hath done what she could.”
One of Susie’s books is a collection of timeless devotional gems—“A Basket of Summer Fruit.” Intended originally for ministers’ wives, it remains a rich source of inspiration for all Christian believers. Here’s an excerpt:
“Cheer up your heart, poor, timid child of God—if such a one be reading my little book! You may not be able to see your way on earth; but turn your eyes to Heaven, and gaze long and lovingly there. You do not need to see the path down below, because He has said He will guide you, and you know the darkness and the light are both alike to Him. Put your hand in His, and trust Him, for “by His light you shall walk through darkness.” —Susannah Spurgeon, “A Basket of Summer Fruit”
In conclusion, dear reader, do you think that your time of useful fruitfulness is over? I urge you to look again—what’s in your basket of summer fruit? What knowledge has God put IN you at this stage of life? What has He inspired you to do? What gift has He given you that you can still use? Don’t discard all your “berries”—not YET! The BEST ones may be the ones you haven’t yet uncovered. Your greatest season of fruitfulness may be YET TO COME!
