Bearing Fruit in the Proper Season - Beloved Women - January 1, 2020
READ: “He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all he does, he prospers.” (Psalm 1:3 ESV)
TODAY’S ENCOURAGEMENT: Have you ever bitten into a banana that wasn't quite ripe? It's a frustrating sensation that leaves behind an unpleasant aftertaste. Our passage today reveals that a defining characteristic of being blessed is yielding fruit in its season. Farmers often harvest fruit early so it ripens along the way to the market. But our God is a loving gardener who tenderly nurtures us and allows us to grow to maturity yielding sweet, luscious, ripe fruit that’s fit for consumption. We must resist the urge to force ripen our life lessons and humbly accept that God's seasons may not line up with our personal timetables.
As we learn to trust His timing we'll bear fruit at the proper time, have leaves that never wither, and everything we do will prosper. Letting go of our personal agenda frees up our hands to embrace the process God designed. Planting and reaping and prospering will not happen in the same day. When we plant ourselves securely beside the Living Water, we'll be nourished by the rich soil of His word, so that in His perfect timing we will thrive!
PRAY: Father God, I want to be planted like a tree. Help me to delight in Your word. Help me to trust Your perfect will and way. I believe in Your perfect timing and I surrender to Your process of growth. In Jesus Name, I pray. Amen.
REFLECT: Are you in a season of life that is causing you to place unrealistic expectations on yourself?
CONNECT: Find more encouragement from Alida Sharp at www.alidasharp.com.
© 2020 by Alida Sharp. All rights reserved.
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