Hey Church!

In preparation for worship this weekend, my challenge to you is to stockpile the fruit of your faith while it is in bloom. 

Just as Joseph, son of Jacob, wisely stored up seven years of harvest in preparation for seven years of famine (see Gen. 41), so we would be wise to store up the fruit of our faith during times of plenty in anticipation of scarcity. By “fruit of faith,” I mean the good things that the Lord establishes in and through us as a result of long stretches of difficulty and drought. The scriptures tell us to command our own souls: remember God’s past faithfulness! And that process should not commence at the first sign of desperation but long beforehand, during the days of abundance. 

Look back over your shoulder and consider: “What fruit has come out of the dark valleys I have walked through?” “How have I been made to be more like Christ as a result of what I have endured?” In each and every circumstance, choose to see how God took the weapon of the enemy and used it to drive your roots deeper into the soil of His blessedness (Ps. 1). After all, Joseph was only in a position to save Egypt, Israel, and surrounding lands from famine because God first allowed him to suffer many, many years of disappointment, betrayal, and loss, until he ended up in Egypt, “the land of the dead,” of all places! 

Meditate on God’s past faithfulness in your life; fill your memory-storehouses with how He has redeemed even the most hopeless situations! Remember that if He was faithful then, He will be faithful now. Let your song rise to heaven: “Through many dangers, toils, and snares I have already come. ‘Twas grace that brought me safe thus far, and grace will lead me home!” (John Newton, “Amazing Grace”)