Good morning, world. Things are looking pretty good from the front porch of my farm in Virginia today. It’s a new day of a new week and if I want to be sure that I’m Prepared for whatever the Lord has for me, then I need to begin it ALL with Him. So, I sat in His Presence, I gave thanks for who He is and what He does for me, I poured out my Heart, I confessed my sins, and I sang a few songs of praise in my Heart. When I opened my eyes to take in the beauty around me one more time, I saw that the sun shining through the leaves on this very full tree and it left light on the ground where it managed to break through. There were some big breakthroughs and some little breakthroughs and the sun beat down on this tree as if to illuminate them. The breakthroughs in Life come by way of the Light too and everything we need to grow and bear fruit is found in the Truth of the Living Word…AND He’ll “light it up” too anytime we desire to be Taught. Isn’t it just like God to use His own sun to drive home a message to me this morning?

Most people in this world are content just to be average but I’m not one of them. It was never enough for me to be an average worker at the office…I put in the effort to be the BEST and I was rewarded with the fruit of the Labor. It wasn’t enough for me to be an average Mom…I put in the work to be the BEST I could be for my Treasures and I Know that the fruit of my Labor will last for generations to come. I did not labor in vain. As a child of the Living God, hand-picked to be one of His own, I want all that God has for me. I see warning signs all over His Word about what the future looks like for those who are just along for the ride – content to sit on the sidelines – so I make sure that’s not what the future looks like for me. I pour Him into me and before you know it, He pours right back out of me…I BEAR FRUIT. I have no interest in the sidelines – I want to be on the Frontline so I put in the work to make sure that my Heart is Ready and that my Life is bearing Fruit. The Journey of Faith is “evidenced” by good fruit being born day in and day out. If there is no fruit, that’s a pretty good indicator of someone content to just go along for the ride…and the Future isn’t nearly as bright for them as think it is.

When a tree stops bearing fruit the farmer gets busy trying to figure out what went wrong. The farmer has a lot invested in each one and he will never be content with a tree that’s not bearing fruit. Most of the time the tree stopped producing because it was somehow malnourished, lacking the nutrients it needs to have the strength to bear fruit at all. Once the farmer takes the steps to give the tree the nourishment it desperately needs to be a good bearer of fruit, the tree will become part of the land of the living again. If it never bears fruit again, it is removed so that it doesn’t take away from the rest of the orchard. A dead tree has no purpose whatsoever. It’s too bad we don’t look at the Journey of Faith the way a farmer looks at a tree. If we notice a tree isn’t bearing fruit we should do everything in our power to give the “tree” what it needs to mature so that it can bear fruit. After that, if there is no fruit naturally coming forth from the tree that has been Given everything it needs to Grow, it’s safe to assume it’s dead, and it’s time to plant seeds all over again. What’s true for nature is True for the Journey of Faith…if there is no fruit, there is no sign of Life.

I Nourish my Faith with the Living God the same way a farmer nourishes his crops. My Life depends on Him and I have no future without Him, so He is the center of my world and I refuse to be content or to labor in vain. I give the Living God the First and the Best of me because I LOVE Him more than anyone or anything else – as a result, my Life bears fruit. There isn’t anything “average” about my Journey of Faith and you won’t find me on the sidelines hoping for a Future with Him…you’ll find me Living out the Purpose He created just for me instead. Besides, with so many seemingly dead trees out there, there is plenty of work for me to do in His Name. I want everybody to Know who I Know and to have what I have and I want the world overflowing with beautiful Fruit. What I have isn’t rocket science and it can’t be intellectualized even though plenty of people try to. All it ever really takes to bear the Best Fruit FOREVER is the Right seed, and Proper Nourishment all the days of your Life.