In the introduction to his book Fruits of the Spirit, Charles Hembree remembers an ancient fable. The fable tells of three merchants who were crossing the Arabian Desert. Because of the heat of the desert they were traveling at night. On that starless night they were crossing over a dry creek bed. As they were crossing a voice in the darkness spoke to them. The voice told them to stop right where they were. Then they were commanded to bend down and pick up the pebbles that were around them in the dry creek bed and put them in their pockets. After they did this they were told to leave and continue on their way and not to camp near the creek bed. The voice from the darkness continued to tell them that in the morning they would be both happy and sad.

Being very frightened by all of this, they traveled through the night and did not stop until they could see the sun. With the arrival of the morning they began to look in their pockets. Instead of finding pebbles in their pockets they found precious jewels. Yes, they were both happy and sad. They were happy that they had listened to the voice of the night but they were also sad that they did not pick up more pebbles.

Charles Hembree goes on to say: "This legend beautifully expresses how many feel about the unsearchable riches of God's Word. We are thrilled we have absorbed as much as we have, but sad because we have not absorbed much more." He goes on to say that this sentiment certainly applies to this verse in Galatians which describes the fruit of the Spirit. Perhaps we should also call these fruits the jewels of the Spirit.

Adapted from Charles Hembree, Fruits of the Spirit (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Book House), p. 7.