AVAAT

A VERSE AT A TIME

TOPIC: A LIFE OF HARVEST

AIM: TO STIR A DESIRE FOR OPTIMAL HARVEST

TEXT: JOHN 12:24-26

KEY VERSE: I assure you and most solemnly say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone [just one grain, never more]. But if it dies, it produces much grain and yields a harvest.John 12:24(AMP)

A fruitful life is a life of harvest. God had harvest in mind from creation as every plant appeared with its seed. As different as each plant was, they all had a seed in themselves. 

And he said, “Let the earth burst forth with every sort of grass and seed-bearing plant, and fruit trees with seeds inside the fruit so that these seeds will produce the kinds of plants and fruits they came from.” Genesis 1:11-12

It is a fact that God has blessed both man and woman with the incredible ability to be fruitful, multiply, and dominate. It is simply not in the nature of any living being to remain barren, and we should embrace and utilize this gift to its fullest potential.

So God created great sea animals, and every sort of fish and every kind of bird. And God looked at them with pleasure and blessed them all. “Multiply and stock the oceans,” he told them, and to the birds, he said, “Let your numbers increase. Fill the earth!” Genesis 1:21-22

And God blessed them and said to them, Be fruitful, multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it [using all its vast resources in the service of God and man]; and have dominion over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, and over every living creature that moves upon the earth. Genesis 1:28(AMPC)

God desires for every believer to be fruitful, but it is important to remember that seedtime must come before harvest time. When God made a covenant with man after the flood in Noah’s day, He promised that there would always be a time for planting seeds and a time for reaping a harvest. This assurance means that every seed that is sown will eventually yield a harvest in due time.

“While the earth remains, Seedtime and harvest, Cold and heat, Winter and summer, And day and night Shall not cease.” Genesis 8:22(AMP)

According to scripture, a man will reap different types of harvests depending on the seeds he sows, and various types of fruits are identified.

•  The fruit of the womb Genesis 30:2
• The fruit of the Land Leviticus 25:19
• The fruit of thy cattle Deuteronomy 28:4
• The fruit of his mouth Proverbs 18:20
• The fruit of her hands Proverbs 31:16
• The  fruit of their doings Isaiah 3:10
• The fruit of their vineyards Isaiah 65:21
• The fruit of their thoughts Jeremiah 6:19
• The fruit of lies Hosea 10:13
• The fruit of the Spirit Galatians 5:22

A fruitful life doesn’t happen by accident; it is the outcome of a well-executed desire. Anyone who desires fruitfulness must be intentional about the type of seeds they sow, consciously or unconsciously. Our thoughts, words and actions are the seeds that yield the harvest we expect.

Tell the good people who do what is right that good things will happen to them. They will receive a reward for what they do. Isaiah 3:10 (ERV)

Solomon, considered the wealthiest King in Israel, did not become rich by sitting on the throne and demanding tributaries; instead, he invested strategically in agriculture with an expected return on investment.

 

Solomon had a vineyard at Baalhamon; he let out the vineyard unto keepers; every one for the fruit thereof was to bring a thousand pieces of silver. Song of Solomon 8:11

I went down into the garden of nuts to see the fruits of the valley and to see whether the vine flourished and the pomegranates budded. Song of Solomon 6:11

A fruitful life results from valuing every potential and opportunity you have in Life. The fruit of David’s thoughts brought him victory over Goliath even before he picked his stones and sling. 

Then David spoke to the men who were standing by him, “What will be done for the man who kills this Philistine and removes the disgrace [of his taunting] from Israel? For who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he has taunted and defied the armies of the living God?” 1 Samuel 17:26

“Thoughts are like seeds that can grow into good or evil actions. When our thoughts are evil, they lead us to unrighteousness. This unrighteousness produces a harvest of shame, pain, and judgment. In the book of Jeremiah, God spoke through the prophet that He would bring evil upon the people due to their schemes and devices.”

Hear, O earth: behold, I am bringing evil upon this people, the fruit of their thoughts (their schemes and devices) because they have not listened and obeyed My words, and as for My law, they have rejected it.Jeremiah 6:19(AMPC)

A person’s Life is like a garden that reveals the different types of seeds they have received since birth. The quality of their Life manifests the nurturing they have received. When someone who has sinned turns to the Lord, the evidence of the gospel seed sown in their heart is shown through their transformed actions and behaviour.

If you have really turned from your sins to God, produce fruit that will prove it! Matthew 3:8

“A fruitful life takes time to manifest. As Solomon wrote in the book of Ecclesiastes, there is a time to plant and a time to harvest what was planted. The harvest is always multiple times greater than what was sown. To be more fruitful, you need to sow more seeds in different areas of Life and patiently wait for the harvest to come.”

“Our Heavenly Father, the King of the Kingdom, has placed us in different positions, families, communities, and spheres of influence to bear fruit. In due season, He will come to receive the fruit of our lives. God prunes those believers who bear fruit to bear even more, while those who are unfruitful are cut off from their relationship with the King.”

Therefore, I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to [another] people who will produce the fruit of it. Matthew 21:43

“A life filled with purpose and productivity is a blessing to everyone around us, and it provides us with a sense of satisfaction and contentment, similar to how a fruit-bearing tree feeds both animals and humans in the food chain. I welcome you to this season of exploration and preparation for a life overflowing with blessings in the name of Jesus.”

REFLECTION QUESTIONS

1. What is the Lord speaking to you in today’s devotion?
2. What kind of seed have you been unaware of?
3. What level of fruitfulness do you seek?
4. Where do you need help? Talk to the Father about it.

Photo by Nina Luong on Unsplash