Growing Season
By Jill Newman
Ah, winter in the Northwest! What’s not to like? Well, maybe the gray skies hanging low over the leafless trees still dripping from a recent downpour, the mushy mossy grass that sprays mud on your shoes, and the dark nights that arrive early and stay too long. Maybe that? Yes, definitely that.
Deep down we know spring is coming, but for now it seems like things will never change.
Lately, my spiritual life has been a perfect reflection of the weather. I feel bleak, hopeless and barren. Only months ago, I felt blessed to be fruitful for the Kingdom of God. I was energized, productive and useful in ministry. But, somehow, as the leaves slipped quietly off the trees a few months ago, so did my joy, strength and fruitfulness. Then, this morning, a verse jumped out at me. God used His ‘holy highlighter’ to reveal His truth to me.
“He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in its season.”
Psalm 1:3
Fruit is not produced constantly, but in its season! There has to be a time of planting, growth and pruning before the fruit is ripe for harvest. I’m a gardener, I should know this! But sometimes the heavy grayness of life blinds me to the truth.
We have a little berry farm at our house. Each plant produces its fruit in season from late spring until early fall. The boysenberries ripen first, then the strawberries, followed by the blueberries and finally the blackberries ripen into a beautiful deep dark purple. All of these bushes had to be planted, pruned back and then had to grow before we could harvest each one in its season.
All of these things take time. We can’t harvest something we never planted. Likewise, we don’t harvest while the fruit is still green. In addition, abundant growth requires skillful pruning to remove the old dead wood to make way for a bigger harvest. When God is planting something new in us, He is not looking for our ability, but for our availability. Are we willing to allow Him to change us? He is constantly in the process of sanctifying us to be more like His son, Jesus, and it’s a process that will take our entire lives to complete.
“Being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.”
Philippians 1:6
But, we can’t just sit back and relax while He works in us. He asks us to participate with Him in our growth. He provides the plan and the resources according to His will, then He gives us situations to deal with and allows trials to walk through. Meanwhile, He is at our side at all times teaching, guiding and leading us. We have to work out our spiritual muscles in order to grow in faith, joy, peace, kindness, etc.
“For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; to goodness knowledge; to knowledge self-control; to self-control perseverance; to perseverance godliness, to godliness mutual affection; and to mutual affection love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being barren and unfruitful in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.” 2 Peter 1:5-8
Lastly, when a plant has produced a good crop, it often needs to be pruned in the off season to remove the dead wood, making room for more fruit. What does that look like in our spiritual lives? The Lord works in us to prune away things like jealousy, envy, greed, indifference, anger or unforgiveness. It never feels good to be pruned, to have God cut away things we were holding onto, things that we don’t want to let go of even though we know deep down they need to go.
“I am the true vine, and My Father is the vine dresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit….Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.” John 15:1-2, 4-5
No matter what season we find ourselves in, it is critical that we abide in the vine, meaning staying close to Jesus. What does that look like? The first thing that’s required is to have a personal saving faith in Jesus for our salvation. This is where we are grafted into the vine. Then, reading the Word, praying, staying in community with our church family are all things that will increase our faith in God. We need to keep our eyes and ears open for what He is teaching us at this time. Then, we can trust the Master Gardener for the harvest in His time, and we will find peace and the hope that this season isn’t all there is.
So, if the weather, or just life in general has left you feeling discouraged, depressed or unfruitful, consider that maybe the Lord is planting something new in you, growing you in some way, or perhaps pruning away those things that are keeping you back from producing even greater fruit for His Kingdom.
I hope Paul’s message in Galatians will be as much of an encouragement to you as it was to me to not grow weary. Harvest time is coming.
“Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life. And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.” Galatians 6:7-9
REFLECTION
What season are you in right now — a season of planting, growing, pruning or harvest?
Would you say that you are ‘abiding in the vine’? If not, what changes will you make to stay close to Jesus?
Take a moment to pray. Ask the Lord to show you the lessons He is teaching you in this season.
Listen to the song Abide as a way to reflect and worship the Lord