The weather is getting cold here in Ohio. When the weather gets cold, I start missing fruits like watermelon. I think we can all agree that it would be unrealistic for a watermelon vine (not grown in a green house) to produce fruit during the Fall.

Psalm 1:3 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.

I sometimes feel that we live with unrealistic expectations in our spiritual walk. We are taught or think that we need to be spiritually fruitful…all the time. I wonder if that is a formula for discouragement and apathy for being truly fruitful in our walk with Jesus.

There are three take aways for me from Psalm 1:3

1. To have a succesful spiritual walk, you have to be planted by streams of water. In other words, be rooted in the Word (the Bible) through Jesus (the Gospel).
2. A tree that is planted by water will not dry up. Likewise, when we are rooted in the Word through Jesus, we will not dry up regardless of external circumstances.
3. A tree that is planted by water should expect to yield fruit. Here is the key phrase, “in its season.” We have the luxury of going to the store and getting the fruits or produce that we need, whenever we need it. We forget that it took time for these things to grow and be ripe for consumption.

I want to encourage those of you who follow Jesus but feel discouraged that you are not seeing fruit in your life. Be patient. Plants vary in time for yielding their fruit. In the mean time, continue to pray and continue to dig deep into God’s Word.

How this applies to Team Kim. We’ve been on our partnership building journey a little over 2 years now. One could look at our journey and say it has been a slow yielding fruit or even wonder if there will be a fruit. Through every step of this process, we’ve seen God working in our life. He has been watering us, pruning us, and preparing us. We know that in His time, our partnership building journey will yield its fruit. As we wait, we pray, grow, and dig deep.

Thank you to those of you who have been praying with us on this 10 Day Prayer Challenge. Please continue to endure and persevere as you pray through with us on this prayer challenge. Be encouraged through the following promise:

Isaiah 41:13 For I am the Lord your God who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you.