I was just slumbering here while in my quiet time and I felt like the Lord was giving me some insight into fruitfulness. There are different types of fruitfulness, if we think about plants and trees. There are those plants that produce beauty (Flowers and such), there are those plants the produce food such as vegetable gardens (carrots, lettuce, onions, tomatoes), bushes that produce fruit (strawberry, rasberries and other berry plants); there are those that produce grain (wheat,corn, barley), and there are trees that produce nuts (Almond, walnut, pecan) and fruit (Apples, peaches, oranges, etc.). Some produce fruitfulness quickly, some produce it during a particular growing season and must be replanted, and some produce fruit year after year. Each has purpose and value to us, and we want to understand that is true in the Lord's plan as well. He gave us the fruits of the fields, vines and garden to feed us, and as such there is God inspired value and purpose.
In the same way, in each of our lives, we are called to produce fruit, to be fruitful. He calls us and invites us to bear spiritual fruit. He calls and invites us to bear fruit physically (Children) and relationally through encouragement and ministry to friends and family. Here are just some of the verses on bearing fruit found in the new Testament - John 15:4-5,8,16-17 NIV:
[4] "Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. [5] “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.
[8] "This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples."
[16] "You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit---fruit that will last---and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you. [17] This is my command: Love each other."
What I saw in my mind in particular was the seasons of growing it takes for a nut tree to produce abundant fruit. I was just doing some research on nut trees and they can take anywhere from 4-12 years before producing yield, and obviously the older and larger they grow the more abundant is their yield. Compare this to the seasonal fruit bearing grains and vegetables, and even some fruits like melons, and it seems like a very long time. They require space to grown and plenty of care and pruning in the early years to be abundant. The point is that we need to learn to be patient with these trees, knowing that the harvest is coming in time, and if cared for correctly can produce abundance for years and years.
Bringing this back to our own spiritual journey, it is my belief that we are called to be fruitful, and we might be fruitful in several ways - think of farm with some acreage dedicated to a vegetable garden, some to grain, some to pasture, and some to orchards. We can be fruitful in many ways personally, and the Lord is the one who guides us and helps us to know how and when to produce fruit. We want to be focused on the short-term during the right seasons, and not expect fruit and nut trees to bear fruit immediately. I love that the Lord is multi-faceted in His approach to our lives, and that He is patient as well! We want to learn to water what we need to water, feed what we need to feed, and be focused on the things the Lord is telling us to focus upon.
Another bit regarding the area of fruitfulness. This theme got me thinking and researching the value of different types of crops, of different ways of selling crops and produce, and it was very interesting. Some of the most valuable crops and produce are the ones that are rare. Sometimes it is how it is prepared for sale! A bag of onions is valued at X, but the same bag of onions, sliced, dried and smoked is valued at 10x. Sometimes it is the rare or out of natural growing season that brings value, as in Strawberries in January. In the natural we are blessed to have access to worldwide markets and as such, we can get strawberries in January, but they are much more expensive (valuable).
Putting this in spiritual context, sometimes we think we don't fit in, or are unique in our gifts or perspectives, and as such don't fit in. However, God has a specific plan and purpose, and as such that unique gifting or talent has significant value to Him. Also bearing good fruit out of particular season is also valuable. We might seem out of synch with everyone around us, but that might be exactly God's provision for someone who needs "strawberries in January". Sometimes we find that our lives are being cut apart, dried and even smoked a bit due to the closeness to the fire - and maybe that makes us more valuable to those around us! We are all of infinite value to the Lord, and such situations don't increase our value to Him, but they certainly do increase our value to others.
Given our druthers, I think most of us want to produce abundant harvests, great amounts of fruit, and while we sometimes think grand schemes and big platforms, it is amazing that our very back yards can become places of abundance. Did you know that during World War 2, that 45% of all the vegetables grown in the US were grown in "Victory" gardens which people planted in their own back yards? Are we so focused on the big that we forget about the little patches of fertile ground we already have responsibility over, or input into? This reminds me of the verse concerning faithfulness in small matters - Matthew 25:21 NIV: “His master replied, 'Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!'
He is growing us up and maturing us to produce fruit daily, weekly, monthly and annually, and sometimes we can get so caught up in the grand and glorious hopes and dreams that we forget about the daily fruit we can produce through kindness, gentleness, love and affection. Let us not forget the opportunities we have to bear fruit in our daily lives, in our work, in our family, in our interactions with those around us, our neighbors and friends!
Amen!
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