A Fruitful Tree

We’re living in days that are getting darker and darker, as what the Bible calls evil is now being proclaimed across the world as being good. But these are also exciting days as we anticipate the return of Jesus.

Because of these things it’s becoming more challenging, and even dangerous, to hold fast to the truth of the Word of God without compromise, and not just in the world, but within the church. It’s so important that we lift up our eyes to the hills from where our help comes (Psalm 121).

The first verse of Psalm 1 is ‘blessed is the man walks not in the counsel of the ungodly’. But in order to not get deceived we need to know the full counsel of God, and this is best accomplished by spending time in His Word.

Verse two of Psalm 1 talks about taking delight in the law of the Lord and meditating on it. Many see the ‘law of the Lord’ as a set of rules that must be followed and are in bondage to obeying the law rather than enjoying a developing relationship with their heavenly Father.

The challenge is that we live in an ‘instant’ society and often we approach our relationship with Jesus and our heavenly Father with the same ‘instant’ attitude, and then get frustrated when we don’t get the instant healing or instant fruit.

Verse three tells us that, as we meditate on the Word, we’ll ‘be like a tree planted by the river that will bring forth fruit in its season’. For me, the key words here are ‘in its season’. When a young fruit tree is planted it often needs two to three years before it bears fruit.

It’s the same for us, as children of God. As we draw on the truth of the Word of God, and allow it to nourish us, we’ll naturally begin to produce fruit. We don’t have to produce fruit – it’s a natural outworking, as we walk in obedience to our Lord.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, I acknowledge that, at times, I’ve been impatient and have neglected spending time getting to know You. I’ve then blamed You when my life didn’t go as I wanted it to. I ask that You would grow in me a hunger for Your Word and Your truth, so I can rest in the shadow of Your wings. I thank You that I don’t have to produce fruit out of my own efforts, but that, as I wait on You, and walk in obedience to You, You’ll grow the fruit in my life. Amen.