Reading through the Psalms - don't you love the Psalms? BTW, love the devotional by Sam Storms, Psalms, it is encouraging and I think nails a lot of the themes and nuances perfectly.
So, I was meditating on Psalm 1:3 and the particular phrase, "in its season", what do you think of when you hear that phrase? For me my thoughts went to eating fruit that was "out of season", you know what I mean? You take a big bite, hoping for the best and all it does is crumble in your mouth and it takes 1,000 chews to get it down unless you just give up and wash your mouth out with water. Of course what do you do with the rest of it, toss it! Why? Because it isn't worth eating, there isn't satisfaction or sweetness when you bite into it, it's disgusting.
What do you think of when it is fruit that is "in season"? has your mouth started to water? Juices flowing, it is as if you're biting into sweet that you never thought possible.
Where are you in your "season"? I know that normally I want to be "in season" always but the Psalmists expresses the agricultural norm that we aren't used to waiting for, tree, by water, will eventually yield its fruit. Think of Jesus going to up to the fig tree with the disciples in Matt. 21:18-22, why did he curse it? It didn't have its fruit that it should have - now, that is another story in itself that we can learn from but is beyond the scope of this post. So we know that we should have fruit, in season, because that is how it should be, it is how God made the trees - that bear fruit and it is how God made our lives under His covenant.
But the Psalmist seems to insinuate at least that there is a process of maturing that brings the fruit that will come for God's covenant people. So, there is a season but you say, "I cannot accept this season" but it seems that is the very contrast that he is drawing out - enter the "Wicked". The wicked desire their fruit now and demand the desire for their designs outside of God's covenant, well what does that look like? he mentions "chaff" which, according to my ESV study notes, is the "husks and straw removed before threshing and is lighter than the edible kernels..." Maturity carries more weight, takes longer and produces the fruit that is intended - immaturity is light, desires instant fruit and produces "chaff".
Which fruit does yours look like? What about the promotion that Bryan got that might have been deserved but you desired that position? Or what about that family at church that just shared about getting their needs met but you still are in need? I'm not saying that, true mature fruit is going to celebrate because one day I'm gonna "get mine". What if the water you're planted by and the season that you're in requires of you a celebration of God's work in anothers life? When we can bite into that fruit and taste the sweetness of God's grace in someone elses fruitfulness, our maturing is coming "in season". Do you get me?
I've been at my job now for 6 years, I've doubled the time that I've been at any other place. Its a long season and over and over I've found myself at the tree and testing the fruit - "is it ready?" I say to myself. How do you know when it ripens? What "season" are you in? Should you be out there making strides or are you trying to make strides but God is just not allowing it. Have you thought that "more ripening" needs to happen? What do you say? Am I completely off on this?
Tim
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