“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 law of 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 his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.” (Psalm 1:1-3)
This is one of my favorite passages of scripture. Of course, those who know me well know what an odd statement that is. ALL of the Bible is my favorite. Someone once asked me what my favorite cookie is. The answer: whichever one is on front of me at the time. There is no such thing as a bad cookie. If I am eating a cookie, it is my favorite. It is the same with the Bible. The list of genealogies in I Chronicles is my favorite passage when I am reading it. Exodus 16:36 says, “Now an omer is the tenth part of an ephah.” Isn’t that awesome? That’s my favorite verse in the Bible right now (because I just read it). But truly, Psalm 1:1-3 stands out as a great challenge and blessing to those who walk with Christ and not with the world.
This time of the year, the seasons begin to change. We see the days getting shorter and the sun is not scorching us with 100 degree heat. We are approaching harvest time for the farmers, and the NFL season begins Thursday night. Living in this part of the country enables us to experience all the seasons of the year, and although we curse the heat and the snow, there is a benefit and an object lesson to each. Probably the most important lesson is to realize that seasons come and go. Each one has its own unique challenges and blessings, and fruit is borne in any season of life.
The passage above says that a man who walks with the Lord, “bringeth forth fruit in his season.” God has given each of us the privilege and the responsibility to do something for him that will yield a crop of eternal fruit. We have a “season” to accomplish that. In the larger context, that season is our life. From the womb to the tomb, we get one shot to serve our Creator and put down a footprint on this earth for him. Then within that larger season, our lives get broken down into segments. When we are young, it is like the spring. Everything is fresh and new. The idealism and enthusiasm of youth is refreshing. They have all the energy in the world, but not always a lot of wisdom. Then summer comes. It is the time when the fruit grows the most because there is no chance of a freeze that can kill the entire crop. This would be like the “young adult” time of our lives from about 25-40, when we are at the peak of our physical and mental health. People in this stage have lived long enough to have figured a few things out, and they are still plenty strong enough to do something about it. Then the fall begins to approach. The colors change. Your hair starts to turn a different color. This is harvest time in the natural world, when the bumper crop comes in. People in this stage of life have the best chance at peak production. They have experienced a full “cycle of life”. They have raised children and are working on the next round of grandchildren. They have the wisdom of life, yet they are still young enough that their walker does not get in the way of their ministry. Finally, there is winter. The real wisdom of age of the elderly is still an abundant source of rich blessings if used wisely for God.
But most Christians never take their seasons of fruit bearing seriously. They will “get around to it” someday, but that day never comes. As Jesus said, the cares of this life enter in and choke the word, and the man becomes unfruitful (Matthew 13:22). Proverbs 20:4 says, “The sluggard will not plow by reason of the cold; therefore shall he beg in harvest, and have nothing.” Harvest time in our lives is the Judgment Seat of Christ. That is where we will reap our rewards and bring in our crop. If you refuse to plow now because of the “cold” world you live in, you will have nothing then. Get in the game. Put your hand to the plow and serve your Lord. The fruit is sweet now, and the rewards will be worth it when we stand before him.
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