Fruit in Season

My son’s voice broke as he spoke, “Mom, I don’t know what’s happening. I just moved my family in order to take a new job, but now that job has fallen through!”

I did my best to encourage him, but as the minutes went by, I could tell I wasn’t getting through the wall of anguish.

After hanging up, I couldn’t get my son’s situation out of my mind. Finally I stopped everything else to pray about what he was going through. My son and his wife are active Christians and responsible young parents. I knew that he would do the best he could to support his family, but I knew, too, that the worldwide economic slump meant it was even more difficult than usual to get a good job.

As I prayed for him, I was reminded of the first words of the first Psalm, and I knew these verses were the key for my son: “Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers, but whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night. That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither—whatever they do prospers.”

“God is love,” and His interactions with us are loving. He is always trying to draw us closer to Himself. Sometimes He allows difficulties and setbacks to befall us, but if our hearts are right with Him, then we are like those trees that are planted by the rivers of water, and we will bring forth fruit when the time is right.
Consider the life cycle of a fruit tree. Sometimes it goes dormant; all the leaves may fall off, and it may appear dead. But there are other times when the tree bursts forth with fruit in abundance.

In the same way, we also go through cycles. There are times when we’re at the top of our game and things couldn’t be better. Then there are times when things take a dip and we have to fight to stay positive. At times like that, I like to meditate on one of my favorite promises from God’s Word: “Do not cast away your confidence, which has great reward. For you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise.”

I couldn’t wait to get back on the phone and share these thoughts with my son. We prayed together for him to be freed from discouragement and worry.

My son and his wife began praying every day for a new job, and he also took on whatever temporary jobs he could find in the meantime. Within six months, he was able to get a good job in an electronics company, and after one year he was promoted to vice president of the same company.

He faced some major obstacles, but God came through for him. Although he’s very busy and challenged with his career, he continues to make his time with the Lord and reading His Word a priority because he knows that this is the key to happiness and success.

—

Psalm 1:1-3 ESV /
Blessed is the man
who walks not in the counsel of the wicked,
nor stands in the way of sinners,
nor sits in the seat of scoffers;
but his delight is in the law of the Lord,
and on his law he meditates day and night.
He is like a tree
planted by streams of water
that yields its fruit in its season,
and its leaf does not wither.
In all that he does, he prospers.

1 John 4:8 ESV / Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.

Hebrews 10:35-36 ESV / Therefore do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward. For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God you may receive what is promised.