Bearing Fruit in Season
“Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.
But his delight is in the Lord; and in His law doth he meditate day and night.
And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in is season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.”
(Psalm 1:1-3)
For whatever reason, this psalm has been coming to mind quite often lately. Perhaps its because the garden I have been tending is beginning to bear fruit, (well… vegetables, mostly,) or perhaps it is because my season of life is about to shift gears for a few months, but Psalm 1 has been unmistakably on my heart this week.
There is much we could look at in this passage, but what God has been challenging me with is the idea that those who are actively seeking God will be fruitful in their season. This first of all indicates that there is a specific season in which God plans for us to bear fruit.
For me, summer is a season in which God gives me time to bear fruit for Him specifically with my writing. It is tempting to look at my summer break as a season for rest and what the world likes to call “self-care,” but in reality, I know God gives me the extra time so that I can write. As summer break officially commences, I am faced with a choice: will I be fruitful or unfruitful?
But for all of us, regardless of the season of life God has us in, the overarching question remains the same: will I seek God diligently in this season, or will I let myself get distracted?
The man in Psalm 1 sought God by staying away from the counsel of the ungodly. What influences are we allowing into our lives and homes that God calls ungodly? To seek God diligently in your season, you must submit to what God thinks of the things you are allowing to influence you.
The man in Psalm 1 also sought God by staying away from the sinful. He did not put himself in the way of sinners, but rather stayed out of their way. This of course does not mean we never interact with sinners—you and I are sinners too, sinners saved by grace, of course, but still sinners. To make this simpler, think of the word way in terms of a road or path. In this season of life, how are you tempted to walk the road of the unbelievers around you? What does God want you to do about it?
Another way the man in Psalm 1 sought God was by not sitting in the seat of the scornful. Many a preacher has pointed out the progression here: from walking to standing to sitting. The “blessed,” or happy man in God’s eyes avoids every step of the progression. But for you and I, it can be so easy to get pulled into the seat of the scornful.
Most people have at least one scorner in their lives. I have found that when I am constantly around those who are scornful, bitter, or even just negative, I get sucked into those same attitudes before I even realize what is happening.
You and I need to stay out of the scorner’s seat. Maybe this will mean spending less time with someone, or maybe it will mean asking God to keep you alert and on guard against a scornful attitude. I’m so glad God has promised to always give a way of escape when temptation comes! (Corinthians 10:13)
It often seems to me that there are seasons of intense battle or work before the fruit-bearing seasons. But for the Christian, each season has the potential for fruit, because God uses every circumstance of life to draw us to Himself and to make us more like Him.
If we seek Him as the man in Psalm 1, He will bring fruit out of every season just at the right time. We will then be like an abundantly-watered tree, planted in a nutrient-rich riverbank, yielding our fruit in our season. No withering leaves, no barren branches: God is faithful, and we can trust Him to bring fruit out of every season of life, so long as we are seeking Him.
“I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in Me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without Me ye can do nothing.” (John 15:5)