"He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers." (Psalm 1:3).The above verse describes the man who delights in the law of the LORD, meditating on Scripture day and night. He is not sucked into the course of this world, but instead lives a life filled with the things of God. He delights in the word of God and makes it his continual feast.What results from such a life of Bible love? What comes from a life which pursues righteousness by pursuing God? This person becomes like a tree, growing, alive, and fruitful.And the life they display never fades, for the leaf on this tree does not wither. Everything they do prospers.But focus for a moment on the description of the fruit. "He is like a tree...that yields fruit in its season." Most trees do not bear fruit year-round but have seasons for fruitfulness. Humans who walk with God, it seems, are the same. We have seasons of greater fruitfulness than others.Wisdom About FruitfulnessOne of the tricks of life is to know when your fruitfulness in one area of life is drying up, and when a new season has come. I do not mean to press the Psalm 1 simile too far, for Jesus promised a life of fruitfulness is available to those who abide in him. I don't think we should expect a year of fruitfulness to follow a year of dryness. Instead, what I mean to focus on, is waiting for God to produce those seasons of intense fruitfulness.In my walk with Christ, there have been many times I've been impatient and have wanted to make a more significant impact than I was at the time. Wrestling with the Lord over it, I've often heard him say, "You do what you're supposed to, and I'll do what I'm supposed to. You abide. You delight in the word. And I will plant you. Those nutrients will get into you. Fruit will come. The season will arrive."But the gap between taking in the water of God's word and actual fruitfulness is often painful for believers to endure through. We read a verse and want to apply it right now — instant fruit. And, though application is a necessary ingredient to Bible study, it is essential to internalize the truth of God's word long enough for actual fruit to manifest itself. The season will come.An Exhortation to My Younger Siblings in ChristI especially have my younger brothers and sisters in Christ in mind right now. I hope you want to make a difference in this world. If you do, thank you. But be willing to allow the strongest seasons of fruitfulness to come. You are surrounded by images of people your age who took off like a rocket. Upon seeing them, you feel pressured to get going. You might even be tempted to believe your younger years are the ones which will most significantly impact the world.But abide in him. Love him and his word. If you do, slowly and almost imperceptively, fruit will begin to grow. The season of impact will come. And, over time, you will become more fruitful than you ever dreamed.

“Then I said, “Ah, Lord GOD! Behold, I do not know how to speak, for I am only a youth.” But the LORD said to me, “Do not say, ‘I am only a youth’; for to all to whom I send you, you shall go, and whatever I command you, you shall speak.” (Jeremiah 1:6–7 ESV).Jeremiah might be my favorite prophet. With endurance and steadfastness, he pushed and pulled with the nation of Israel, but also with God. His road, like all the prophets', was hard. The people would reject him, over and over again, and he had to say hard words.His start began privately. God had recruited him. God spoke to him, telling Jeremiah he knew him from before he was even formed in his mother's womb. Jeremiah was alive at that moment and in that place and with that heritage by the sovereign planning of God. He was God's man to bring a hard message to a rebellious people.But Jeremiah didn't want to do it. Don't be so shocked. At times, you've felt similarly. Jeremiah's excuse was simple. "I do not know how to speak, for I am only a youth." There's something sweet about it, isn't there? He felt too young for the job, and his lack of experience kept him from gaining the skill to speak well.God had none of it. "Do not say, 'I am only a youth,'" God told Jeremiah, "for to all to whom I send you, you shall go, and whatever I command you, you shall speak." God doubled down on Jeremiah's call. The young man had to go. God's mission for his life was real. It could not be avoided.I'm no Jeremiah. Neither are you. But we are both called to something. God has plans. He's got dreams and visions and purposes here on earth. His redemptive work is a thread throughout history, and now we are small players on his grand stage. He has put you in this time, at this place, with your past, for a purpose and reason. He fashioned you. He knew you when you were in your mother's belly. Mount up.You see, our excuses do not move God. Jeremiah's youth and lack of skill seemed an obstacle to the young prophet, but not to God. He blew right past Jeremiah's concerns. God is bigger than Jeremiah, and he's bigger than you. He can use your life. He can help you overcome!

“Also many of those who were now believers came, confessing and divulging their practices. And a number of those who had practiced magic arts brought their books together and burned them in the sight of all. And they counted the value of them and found it came to fifty thousand pieces of silver. So the word of the Lord continued to increase and prevail mightily.” (Acts 19:18–20 ESV).Over a million dollars worth chucked into the fire. New Ephesian converts took their magic books and paraphernalia, demonic stuff that it was, and destroyed it all. Someone took the time to count up the street value — 50K in pieces of silver, worth over a million in modern times.What was truly impressive, however, was not the evaluation of all they disposed of in those ancient fires, but the victory Christ had won in their hearts. People who had previously been all wrapped up in witchcraft, set free by the blood of Jesus. His love had melted away their excuses and won their hearts. Individual by individual, people of Ephesus turned from the practices and views which bound them and came into the new life in Christ. In the telling of the story, Dr. Luke loved it so much he gave a progress report about it: "So the word of the Lord continued to increase and prevail mightily" (Acts 19:20).We know the gates of hell will not prevail against the church, just as Jesus said. We know he has a plan for his people here on earth today. Still, with strange winds blowing and the doctrines of demons ever-expanding, we might lose the perspective that Christ's light is designed to push into the darkness. As the cultural tides churn, and like a strong undertow sucks people in, we might begin to think the church has lost.But Christ has work to do through his people. If not, he'd return already, but he hasn't, so we know there is still a job to do. And in that job, he will be faithful.I am convinced the battle will not be won through mass campaigns and strategic organization but through the humble gatherings and prayers of God's people. As we cry out to him for grace, as we devotedly love one another, and as we talk openly with those he's put in our lives, the church will show another way, a different path.Recently, I gathered with a small group of thirty or forty people committed to the counter-cultural life of obedience to Jesus. With Christ as King, we prayed. It was a serious, somber, humble, and beautiful time. At the conclusion, I sensed the Lord say, "this is how the victory is won." Somehow, by the hand of God, men and women will throw millions into the fire because Christ has claimed their hearts. Our little prayer meeting, in the economy of God, will have had something to do with it.

"When Joshua was by Jericho, he lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, a man was standing before him with his drawn sword in his hand. And Joshua went to him and said to him, “Are you for us, or for our adversaries?” And he said, “No; but I am the commander of the army of the LORD. Now I have come.” And Joshua fell on his face to the earth and worshiped and said to him, “What does my lord say to his servant?” And the commander of the LORD’s army said to Joshua, “Take off your sandals from your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy.” And Joshua did so.” (Joshua 5:13–15).The ObstacleJoshua, the newly minted leader of Israel, was perplexed. Moses always knew what to do, but now he was gone. In recent days, God worked miraculously to bring nomadic Israel into the permanence of the Promised Land, parting the Jordan River's floodwaters so they could enter in. Forty years earlier God had split the Red Sea for their parents and grandparents, and now God showed this new generation his favor. He brought them into the land. But once in, what would they do? Where would they go?They'd been told, of course, battles would come. God had determined, for many years and with many warnings, judgment upon the peoples of the Canaan. Joshua knew Israel would have to get to warring, but how and where was the question.As he gazed towards the horizon, he saw the city of Jericho. It was an impregnable fortress, an enemy for whom Israel had no training. As the general, the leader, of the nation, Joshua must've felt a need to concoct a plan.It's not like God hadn't spoken to them about Jericho before. He had told Moses how one day they'd be next to the great city. God promised to bring his judgment upon it. But Jericho was always, up to this point in the Biblical story, across the water from Israel. It was a future problem, tomorrow's concern. But now they were right up next to it. There was no avoiding this confrontation, and what would Joshua do? He had, I'm sure, no idea.To make matters worse, Jordan's waters had closed behind them, and the manna had ceased. God was the author of both events, his way of declaring to Israel only forward motion would do. Israel had nowhere to run, and if they wanted to eat, they had to move. So Joshua knew time was of the essence. Jericho could not be avoided.So Joshua studied the walled city. I imagine him -- perhaps I import too much of myself onto him -- overwhelmed with the stress of the situation. He'd never gone this way before and had no experience toppling castles. He strategized and stressed, doing his best. Anxiety began to flood his heart.The InterventionAt this moment by Jericho, Joshua "lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, a man was standing before him with his drawn sword in his hand." Joshua was perplexed by this man and his readied weapon, for Joshua had given no command to engage in battle. So he asked, "Are you for us or our adversaries?" He needed this man to identify himself. Was he friend or foe?The man replied, "No," for he was neither. He was not merely part of Joshua's army, nor was he a defender of Jericho. Instead, he said, "I am the commander of the army of the LORD. Now I have come."God had an army, invisible, powerful, and real, and Joshua couldn't see it. All he saw were his problems and responsibilities, but now the true leader of the actual army of God had shown himself. Joshua fell down in worship. Then the Lord gave Joshua history's craziest battle strategy: walk around the city in silence once daily; then, on the seventh day, walk around it seven times, blow the horns, and watch the walls fall.This was the moment Joshua needed. He had to recognize how much God was for him, with him, and invisibly serving him and the nation. God did not need Joshua's stress and worry, for God had a weapon ready. He would send his commander to lead the charge and win the victory.Not all the battles in the Promised Land were waged in this manner, but all of the battles in the Promis

"Be still, and know that I am God." - Psalm 46:10He stood powerless in front of the people. Thousands had gathered. For them, life had become hopeless, and this man had told them to follow him. And follow they did, leaving everything to give him a shot. But now he stood, fearing he'd made a mistake. He might have led them straight to their demise.The more they stood, the more death felt bound to destroy them. The enemy, strong and fierce, bore down upon them. Weapons were drawn. Warhorses clamored for blood. Their end was in sight.The people looked to their once fearless leader. Complaints flowed from their mouths. So Moses said, "Fear not, stand firm, and see the salvation of the LORD" (Exodus 14:13). The people thought the Red Sea was their great doom, but in truth, it was God's great weapon. Soon, all would be well. God would take care of everything."Be still," God said, "And know that I am God" (Psalm 46:10). The words mean to let it drop, relax, or sink. Stop treading water in a vain attempt for your next breath. Stop striving and struggling. Rest. Let it drop. See what happens. You might find out God is God. And you're not.I have been learning the power of these words. This command pulls at my heart and wrenches my mind. Surely, I think, I cannot be still. I cannot stop. I cannot let it drop. I've got to hold it all together. I know my perspective is erroneous, but I often act like it's gospel truth. But God has been teaching me to let it drop, to be still, to trust Him more deeply than ever before.As life complexifies, trust must broaden.Recently, I sat with a pastor I admire. A real world-traveler, a minister to the nations, I asked him how he did it. "How do you travel and teach and preach so broadly, so extensively?" I asked. He didn't have an answer, but sitting with him for a couple of days gave me one. He trusts God. He leans into the Spirit and keeps steppin'.I want to get to the next level of trust in God. I want to learn how to -- better than ever before -- be still. He's not inviting me (or you) into laziness. Psalm 46:10 isn't a command to an aimless life. It's internal, the wrestlings of the soul. Be still. Trust. Lean. Let it drop, and receive the treasure of doing so.