FJWL_01:411
I am the Farmer God. I slowly till the field, prepare the ground, and plant the seed. I wait patiently as the seed grows. I nurture it, and I stake it, and I weed it, and I dung it. As it grows, I see and know that fruit will come. I know that fruit does not come in the first day, or in the first week, or in the first month, but that it takes time--time for the plant to grow, time for it to receive its nutrients, time for the roots to grow deep, and time before it brings forth the fruit that will benefit others.
Before the fruit there is much labor, much tending, much watering and weeding and fighting against the pests. Oh, that My children would understand these things!
Having to wait for the fruit is a test--a test of your faith, a test of your patience. As you wait and you see not the fruit, you begin to waver. But I say to you, have patience. Know that the plant must grow fully and completely before the fruit is ripe and ready.
So it is with My blessings and with your obedience. As you obey, as you do the things that I say, as you believe My Words, this is as the plant growing. This is the watering and the nurturing. But if you give up and say, "There is no fruit in my obedience, there is no fruit in my yielding, there is no fruit in my doing what the Lord has shown me," and you walk away from the plant and you no longer nurture it and you let the weeds grow and you no longer water it, it weakens and it dies. And the fruit that it may bring forth is not the same fruit--not as healthy, not as full as if you had had faith to nurture it and to let it grow to full maturity.
So though you do not immediately see the fruit of your labors, of your obedience, have faith! Have faith that it will come. The farmer has faith, for he knows that if he does those things which he must do--the watering and the nurturing, the fighting off the pests--and if he has patience, the fruit will come and he will be rewarded.
You, My children, must be farmers in the Spirit--farmers who move slowly, patiently and faithfully, who know that the fruit comes forth through their patient labors. They can't make it come forth faster. They must do what they must do in obedience, in faithfulness, and then the fruit comes forth.
In your patience possess ye your souls. For the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that you may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.
Trust Me as the farmers trust Me, that you may receive the full fruit and the full benefit of the harvest after patient and diligent laboring (ML #3073).
Copyright (c) 1998 by The Family