WHERE'S THE FRUIT?

Have you ever traveled in the wrong direction without realizing you missed your turn until your surroundings didn’t look quite right? Or perhaps you thought you knew the way but ended up lost and should have used your GPS?

That's how I've been feeling lately about The Prodigal Daughters’ Daily. One day, I wondered, “Where am I going with this?”

Before starting the blog, I felt the Lord was leading me to write. Out of what I believed was obedience, The Prodigal Daughters’ Daily was born. Initially, I wrote about my journey as a new believer. As time went on, I became excited about all the ideas that came to mind. “I can do Bible studies, fictional short stories, and so much more,” I thought. Although I believed my intentions were good—to encourage and uplift my fellow sisters in Christ—I realized that, in some ways, I was operating from selfishness rather than selflessness.

A year later, when most people would celebrate the milestone of being faithful in little, I found myself frustrated, convinced I had gone too far in the wrong direction. I looked at my analytics, which showed very little growth and no momentum, leaving me to question, “Where’s the fruit? Lord, I’m being faithful, I’m showing up, I’m being diligent, and it seems like I’m doing it all for nothing. Why am I not producing any fruit?”

After my little moment of frustration, He corrected me. I felt in my spirit that I had misunderstood the situation. I heard Him say, “You are bearing much fruit!” He instructed me to grab my journal and write down what He was producing in me, such as stewardship, discipline, patience, and an increase in faith.

The fruit I was expecting was not what He was producing, and the audience I envisioned was not the audience that was watching. That realization was truly eye-opening.

The Holy Spirit brought the following verse to my mind: “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.” — John 15:5 (KJV)

What I believe the Lord is teaching me (and this is still an ongoing lesson) is that the fruit He cares about is the fruit of the Spirit. Here’s a little secret: I don’t always feel smart, I am extremely shy when it comes to expressing my inner thoughts and feelings, and I struggle with grammar and sentence structure, which makes me insecure about my writing. This blog makes me completely dependent on Him because I can’t do it in my own strength.

I'm learning that God is more concerned about our character and who we are becoming than with the world's idea of success. Don’t get me wrong; I want that too, and I believe God desires to bless me with things that align with His will. However, while the world focuses on measurable results, God produces outcomes that aren't always immediately visible but are everlasting.

I'm beginning to understand that my audience is an audience of One. He is the One watching to determine what needs to be pruned in my life. My focus should be on writing to glorify Him. Although all the ideas I have seem fun and exciting, it's more about what He is producing in me through the process and who He chooses to bless through the work of my hands, which may only reach one person on a given day. After all, He is always willing to leave the 99 for the one.

Here's my question for you: Is there an area of your life where you are also asking, “Lord, where's the fruit?” You may have been a good steward, yet you're not seeing the results you hoped for. I want to encourage you to continue being faithful, but more importantly, seek the Lord to reveal what He is doing behind the scenes regarding your situation. Often, He is pruning us to help us become more like Him.

Here’s what I hope you take away:

1. Be faithful in the small things, because in due time, you will reap a harvest.

2. Glorify God in everything you do. Approach each task as if you are doing it for the Lord, as He is always watching.

3. Check in with Him to understand what He is doing behind the scenes regarding your situation.

Give yourself grace if you stray off the path a little. Trust that God works everything out for our good. The encouraging news is that good fruit will always grow from abiding in Christ. Remember, the enemy has the ability to grant wishes as well; don't forget that he had the audacity to tempt Jesus with the kingdoms of this world.

If you find yourself in a similar situation of wondering "where's the fruit?", let’s agree to stop striving, seeking validation, or focusing on what we want to gain. Instead, let’s learn to be empty vessels for God to use, trusting in the work He is doing in and through us throughout the process.

Let’s Pray

Heavenly Father,

At times, we struggle to comprehend what you are doing behind the scenes, and we become impatient as we wait. Please grant us understanding and peace as we trust in Your sovereignty. Reveal to us the fruits you are producing within us, especially when we feel discouraged by what we cannot see. May we abide in You all the days of our lives. Amen.