For those who are looking for an increase of favor and opportunity in the assignments God has given you, focus your attention on the firstfruit crop that will open the way for greater harvest and production.
Many of you have been given a commission and assignment from heaven and are looking for more connections and opportunities to grow that which has been planted in your heart. However, the Lord is encouraging you to pay more attention to bearing good fruit than on establishing a production platform. It is the first fruit itself that will draw heaven’s favor and create a larger platform for growth.
“From the fruit of his mouth a man is satisfied with good, and the work of a man’s hand comes back to him” (Prov 12:14, ESV).
Sow the seeds of obedience in that which God has called you to do. Put your hand to the plow and be faithful for the measure you currently have. Be a good gardener in the portion you’ve been given, and steward your field as a master vinedresser. Do not look for immediate results or instant access. The seeds of your vision and call must be given time to mature and grow. Water them through prayer and wait as a watchman.
When it is time, that which you have planted by the Spirit will bear fruit and draw those who are hungry for its taste. The seeds you are called to plant will be unique from others. The fruit born of your heart carries its own aroma, taste and substance. Do not compare yourself with other vinedressers or gardeners. Each one He calls will bear different fruit, according to their seed and kind. The prophetic words spoken over your life may water the seeds in your heart and stir your potential, but it is your faithful labor to bring forth a firstfruit crop that will create further opportunities for growth and expansion.
“She considers a field and buys it; with the fruit of her hands she plants a vineyard … Give her of the fruit of her hands, and let her own works praise her in the gates.” (Prov 31:16, 31, MEV).
If you watch carefully, pray faithfully and wait for its harvest, the fruit you bear will draw those who have a craving for it. You will not have to wonder or worry about who will see the fruit of your labors or who may join in your cause, for they will be drawn to it as flies are to ripe produce. It is not your marketing skills in the potential of the produce that will attract others, but the fruit itself.
Use your emotional and spiritual energy to tend to your assigned field and garden. Even when you don’t see results, trust that your obedience is working underground, feeding and maturing that which you’ve planted. Do not be distracted by other gardens that may seem to be yielding fruit, for each field has its own harvest time. You must focus on that which the Lord has given you grace for and that which works without striving.
Even at the first sign of fruit, there is a time of ripening. Fruit must fully mature in order to taste good and be digested properly. Be careful not to pick the fruit before its time, for it will carry no aroma and no flavor. As heaven ripens the fruit from above, the sweetness of the fruit will begin to draw those whose spirits are searching for it. There will be no pressure to perform or need to produce, because the fruit itself will draw those whom the Father has destined to taste it and share in its harvest.
“Blessed is everyone who fears the Lord, who walks in his ways. For you shall eat the fruit of the labor of your hands; you will be happy, and it shall be well with you” (Ps. 128:1-2).
Be patient in this time of growth and ripening of fruit. Know that the favor and increase will come in due time as you are faithful in tending the dreams in your heart and the seeds in your hand. {eoa}
Wanda Alger is a field correspondent with Intercessors for America. She ministers with her husband in Winchester, Virginia. Follow her blog at wandaalger.me.