Born to Be Fruity

I have a plaque that reads: “Anyone can know the number of seeds in an apple, but only God knows the number of apples in a seed.”

I am not a farmer. But in studying Scripture, I learned the first fruits told the farmer what quality his crops would yield that season. That is why they were offered to God. If they were great, the farmer rejoiced. If they weren’t, he prayed to God to make them so.

A famer realizes he has a hand in growing his crop to produce, but it is God who created the seeds, and God who will bring the sun and the rain.

When we are born, our parents obviously had a hand in it, but it was God who gave us breath and purpose. In a way, we are similar to the first fruits, no matter how many siblings were born before us. We each have potential to produce a great harvest for the kingdom.

I’m sure many a parent has prayed for their child to turn out OK, just as the farmer prays for his crop. But development takes time, nurturing, and patience. Some of us may not have had nurturing parents. No matter, we have a nurturing God.

The good news is, we never stop growing — spiritually that is. We have been re-born. Wherever we are in the process, our fruit can still be of great use. God knows how much fruit we can bear, and how He will use it to nourish others.

Dearest Lord, treat us as first fruit – born full of potential and growth. Let us be reborn in you and flourish, growing in the way you designed us to grow. Rain down on us your mercy and have your sunshine of grace fill our days so our fruit may attract others to you. In the name of Jesus we pray, amen.”

Go Deeper — Is there someone, even you, who is not bearing the fruit they potentially could? Picture them as a piece of new fruit on a tree. Pray for God to bring the necessary elements into their life so they grow into who He means for them to become. Then ask what your role in it should be.