Bearing Fruit in the Bleak of Midwinter

  Psalm 1:1-3:

Blessed is the man
     Who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked
Or stand in the way of sinners
     Or sit in the seat of mockers.
But His delight is in the law of the Lord,
  and on His law He meditates day and night.
He is like a tree planted by streams of water,
   which yields its fruit in season
and whose leaf does not wither.
   Whatever he does prospers.

These are some of my favorite verses in scripture. In these verses, I find comfort and I am reminded that I am desperately in need of a source outside of myself to constantly nourish me in order to produce the necessary fruit we are called to bear in every season of life. As I read these verses, a beautiful, tranquil image fills my mind. I imagine the most beautiful, crystal blue stream of water flowing peacefully. From the water’s edge and beyond is vibrant, green grass, and lush, sturdy trees. I imagine this to be a day where the sunshine provides the perfect amount of warmth. I imagine a place that I want to stay and linger. A place of perfect peace.

In a climate such as this, it would be of no surprise to see a nearby apple tree bursting with produce. So many apples fill these branches, that after you’ve had your fair share of picking, there’s still plenty of apples left hanging on the tree to prove that it is still yielding fruit in its season. What I imagine describes the perfect scenario for growth, prosperity, and abundance. Everything is just right and it seems fitting to see fruit growing from the tree.

But, what if the scenario is nothing like what has just been described? In fact, these verses never give the description that I tend to imagine in my mind’s eye as I read them. What if we are a tree planted by the stream of water but the season is in the bleak of winter? Maybe the climate is bitterly cold and the sky is a dreary grey. What if in those conditions, you were to look down stream and see in the midst of the all the grey and bitter surroundings, this same apple tree, still bursting with produce, bursting with fruit that’s good to eat. Any passerby would stop to gaze at a tree that is still producing fruit in unlikely circumstances. Anyone passing by would have to stop to look at the fruit that should not be present and wonder how it’s possible. One might even cave to the yearning to pick an apple off of that tree just to see if it’s any good, to see if it’s legit.

What we see here is a change in the circumstances and seasons. However, the one thing has remained the same, is the source that is still continuously supplying the tree. This source, the stream, is STILL present and it STILL continues to flow and supply all that is needed in every season, and thus, allowing the tree to bear much fruit in unlikely circumstances.

 In these verses, I’m reminded that our fruitfulness relies completely on the stream. Without the stream, that tree would not bear fruit, even if the circumstances surrounding it are favorable for it to do so. Jesus tells us in John 7:38, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him.”

I don’t know all of my readers. Nor do I know what season of life you may be finding yourself in today, but I do know Jesus, and from Him flows a continuous supply of living water! This living water will do more than sustain you. This living water will allow you to be fruitful, even in the bleak of midwinter.  So, I implore you to draw near to this stream of living water. Allow Jesus’ loving, faithful, and reliable supply to flow from you. Draw near to this place. Stay and linger, and you will find that it is a place of perfect peace.

“You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit- fruit that will last”
 John 15:16