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.