Psalm 1:3 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.

I have wanted this for myself. I’ve wanted it so much I’ve tried to make it happen. I’ve wanted it for others, so much so that I’ve tried to make it happen for them also. Now this morning as I began to read the Psalms again, for my own purpose and pleasure, I was struck by a truth I had been ignoring.

Fruit does not come by will or desire but by season. While the symbolism is a natural tree, the spiritual implication isn’t of the natural man, but rather the spiritual man. We think of our worldly maturity by one standard, our place in this world, responsibilities, opportunities and actions. It is not that way in the Kingdom.  Here maturity is based on relationship, obedience of faith and God’s will.

There is only so much we can do about spiritual growth. We have to feed ourselves and exercise ourselves, but the will of God is not within our control. My season of fruit production in the Kingdom is not totally within my control, yet by worldly standards I act as if it is up to me to produce. Not only that, and perhaps even worse I have an expectation of seeing your fruit by a standard I cannot keep myself.

Fellowship with purpose of production is not what Christ intended. It has always been meant to be a shared experience. Where two or more gather, Christ is there. Christ centered fellowship isn’t about me taking a place at the table, nor seeing that everyone else is seated, it is the Lord’s Table.

Isaiah 5:12 And the harp, and the viol, the tabret, and pipe, and wine, are in their feasts: but they regard not the work of the Lord, neither consider the operation of his hands.

I mean to be considerate.

Romans 8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

This is my meaningful scripture. I know that people delight in saying favorite verse but there is a difference between favorite and meaningful. Favorite is a delightful place, it is feel good and can change for time to time. Meaningful is that dependable verse that helps pull you out of those dark places we go from time to time.

For me, Romans 8:1 is meaningful because of what I was in my past life, damaged and dangerous. I was a wreck and I hated myself. I literally condemned myself for all the hurt and pain I had caused in the lives of those closest to me. Romans 8:1 helps pull me back from those moments when I remember my past and the nightmare I once lived. That life is over and Romans 8:1 reminds me of who and what I am now.

Do you have a meaningful passage that you can call upon when you need God to pull you up?

I do not know your life or the things which you have had to live with, but I do know that if you are a new creation in Christ that the enemy will and does try and frustrate you. For me my memories are Satan’s weapons against my obedience of faith. I recognize that there are times when I come under attack by Satan when God is about to use me. It is comforting to think that Satan hates me enough to fight my faith.

Think about your own personal weakness and where Satan will attack. Do you have a passage that pulls you back to truth? Do you have a meaningful passage that shuts the mouth of that lying enemy?

I pray you do. They really do help.