Living the life God intended

Hi how are you all this week? Just a few minutes ago I was listening to the rain on the roof. I really like that sound. When you are tucked in your house whilst listening to rain, it makes you feel secure and safe. It is another story when we are out in it. We are then experiencing the rain or the storm and it will get a little uncomfortable for us. We may get wet, get stranded or maybe even get a little scared.

Just remember it is the same rain; it’s just where we are positioned. God tells us to hide in Him when a storm is raging. That’s the safest place to be.

This week I want to have a look at fruitfulness. When we think of that word we usually think of a fruit tree, plant or vine that contains a lot of fruit. Both people and animals can be fed from that fruit. Fruitfulness sustains us and also makes us look like we have it all together.

Another word for fruitful is productive or multiplying what is already there. Fruitfulness always starts from a seed.

In the Old Testament, we see many examples of fruitfulness mainly through women. The opposite of fruitfulness is barren. There were a number of women in the Old Testament that were barren and I want to look at them quickly to pull out the keys for fruitfulness in our lives.

The first one is Sarah. We pick her “barren” story up in Genesis 16. God had already provided her husband with a promise that they were going to have a son.

However Sarah decided to take matters into her own hands and she gave her maidservant to her husband so she could bear him a child. Barrenness in our lives will cause us to do something to hurry up Gods plan. Who knows that this will never end well? Sarah ended up kicking out her maidservant and her son a number of times because this was not the plan of God.

Barrenness can cause us to hurt people in our time of waiting. Sarah didn’t do barrenness well and even laughed at the messenger of God. But when God has a plan, even when we don’t do barrenness well, fruitfulness always comes. But who gets the accolades from God – Abraham – the father of faith. We don’t hear of Sarah the mother of faith.

Now let’s look at Hannah in 1 Samuel 1. She was another barren woman. In her barrenness, she dealt with provocation from the other wife of her husband which made her miserable. Her husband didn’t understand her pain – he just gave her a double portion which probably hurt Hannah. But I love what Hannah did. She didn’t complain to her husband, try to take matters into her own hand or even just accept her lot in life.

No- she went to the tabernacle of God. She knew the only One Who could answer her prayer and soothe her aching heart. She went to the only One Who understood her pain.

Even though many times in our lives, we feel like Hannah, how often do we run to God? Only He has the answers and wisdom to heal our barren heart.

She was praying in the temple when the priest interrupted her and called her a drunk woman. I probably would have got offended and run off. Not Hannah! She knew the source of her help and it wasn’t man, including the priest, it was God. Hannah answered the priest respectfully and the priest told her to go in peace and God would answer her prayer. Her prayer was answered and she had a son then five other children.

Sometimes in our barrenness, we have to continue to hang onto God no matter what others say. Fruitfulness will come into our lives after a season of wilderness.

God has a great plan for each of us but He expects us to fight to get into the Promised Land where fruitfulness lies. Don’t give up- keep pressing on. Your fruitfulness breakthrough is just around the corner.

Bless you heaps and keep living the life God intended for you.

Karen