Examining God’s Word
“To every thing there is a season,
and a time to every purpose
under the heaven…
A time to love…
Ecclesiastes 3:1&8a
Evaluating Our Garden
Isn’t it fun to plant something in the dirt, nurture it, and see it grow? I love it! I especially love when I reap an edible food, like cucumbers, tomatoes, okra, peppers, a juicy lemon, or watermelon. After all, what’s the sense of spending time growing food, or flowers, if we aren’t going to enjoy the fruitfulness of our labor?
It’s such a waste to work so hard and just let the fruit, in our gardens and lives, fall to the ground, unappreciated, only to rot and decay. The same goes for the fruitfulness in our spiritual lives. Sometimes, we forget to show our Creator love and appreciation for the harvest He sends our way.
God is the one who gives the increase in our lives. When we don’t appreciate it, we’re not appreciating what He has blessed us with. Loving fruitfulness is a mindset that helps us show gratitude for what we harvest.
Experiencing Seasons
Last year, I realized that I have to stop moving from project to project without embracing the fruit of my efforts. It seems that I’m always looking toward the next season, challenge, obligation, or project and forgetting to stop and view the daffodils blooming in the garden now, which are brilliantly beautiful!
Why would God grant me a harvest tomorrow, if I’m ungrateful for today’s fruit? That’s why I’m trying to learn to spend time loving and enjoying the harvest before me.
Embracing Solace
Laboring is a part of life that yields rewards and provides the comforts we enjoy. It’s also how we spend a lot of time. While we’re meant to enjoy this journey, we are also meant to enjoy the fruit it affords. Showing love for these blessings doesn’t have to wait until the end of the work day, week, or year. We can rejoice over them along the way.
Enjoying Simplicity
If we take the time, we would see the benefits of our fruitfulness that there are to love, like the:
- opportunity to work with our hands
- seeing God produce fruit in our lives
- accomplishments
- paychecks
- unexpected rewards
- a sense of purpose
- ability to fulfill needs
Even the simple pleasures or provisions that we receive from God, or for the work we do, are blessings that deserve to be cherished for what they are.
Employing Solutions
It’s appropriate to be grateful for the fruitfulness we harvest. Reaping for our sowing is a promise from God and a true gift to enjoy.
“Nevertheless he left not himself without witness,
in that he did good,
and gave us rain from heaven,
and fruitful seasons,
filling our hearts with food and gladness.”
Acts 14:17
We are also made to be spiritually fruitful every season by bearing the fruit of God’s Holy Spirit, as seen in Galatians:
“But the fruit of the Spirit is
love, joy, peace,
longsuffering, gentleness, goodness,
faith, Meekness, temperance:
against such there is no law
Galatians 5:22-23
Harvesting fruit takes time and patience through each season to prepare. If we learn to enjoy that labor, we could rejoice in what we do, and produce what we love. This is a gift from God. (Ecclesiastes 3:13) Enjoying the blessings of the fruit we reap is one way we show love and gratitude for the harvest.
Bring It Home
What fruitfulness are you loving in your life right now?
Praying for you as we grow together,
Smiles, BRC
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