Psalm 1

Psalm 1 says (paraphrased) Blessed is the man who delights in the Law of the Lord, and meditates on it day and night. "He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season (emphasis mine).

In serving the local church I find myself wanting to yield all fruit in all seasons. With hundreds of "famous" pastors I find my self striving for ministries like theirs. One big problem... I'm not them and this is not the same church as theirs!

I am who God made me to be. I have a unique fruit. God didn't design me to produce "their" fruit He designed me to be me for a reason.

Not only do I have a unique fruit, but I have a fruit bearing season. The problem is my self-centered desire is to bear that fruit all the time. However, no fruit tree (at least that I know of) bears fruit year round. Most of the year it does not bear any fruit at all. It just sits there looking dead or at least fruitless. But no one cuts down a good fruit bearing tree just because it is not in season. The off season is good for the tree to be nourished so that at the prime time to produce fruit it has all the nourishment it needs to bear good, tasty, satisfying, filling, enjoyable fruit.

So it is with me. God has not designed me to bear all kinds of fruit, just one, a unique one. And that fruit won't be flourishing all year long. There will be a season where God will cause the fruit to flourish, but that can only happen if there is a good "off season" where I am finding my delight in the Law of the Lord, and on His Word meditating day and night. If there is no spiritual nutrition then there won't be good fruit to bear in season.