Brother 2 Brother || Picking the Fruit before it is Ripe

Picking the Fruit before it is Ripe
By Eric Harrison

Picking the Fruit befire it is Ripe God’s Word promises that we will prosper and have great victory in our lives. These promises sound so good to us, that we can’t wait until they come to pass. Many times we begin to do things on our own in order to experience the new things that God promised us. This is the first sign of picking fruit before it is ripe.

There have been times where I have tried to help God to manifest His promises because I was frustrated with what was going on in my life. I wanted to push the process along by taking short cuts so that I could get out of an uncomfortable situation. Soon I found out that all of my work was in vain and did not result in what God had for me. I kept my eyes on getting out of my situation more than on the promise that God had given me. I began to pick the fruit before it was ripe.

An example of someone who picked his fruit early by trying to help God with His promises was Abraham. In Genesis 15, God promised Abraham a son to carry on his name. Time passed on and Abraham and Sarah had not conceived a son. In Genesis 16, Sarah suggested to Abraham that he should have relations with her maidservant Hagar to conceive the son that God promised. Nine months later, Ishmael was born. Instead of allowing what God said to fully manifest, Abraham settled for what he manufactured. He picked the fruit before it was ripe.

Fruit that is picked before it is ripe has certain characteristics:

It has a bitter taste to it
It does not have its full nutritional value
It is not developed enough to share with any one else

Abraham experienced these characteristics in the premature harvest that he received in Ishmael. Genesis 16:12 in the New Living Translation says that Ishmael was a wild man who was rebellious and lived in open hostility toward all of his relatives. This certainly was not what Abraham expected in a son who would carry on the family name. His results did not match up to the promise God made him. This began to look like a hopeless situation for Abraham where he would have to deal with his mistake the rest of his life.

Thank God for His Mercy and Grace!

Although Abraham picked his fruit before it was ripe by conceiving Ishmael, God still honored his promise. In Genesis 17, God spoke to Abraham again and reminded him of the promise that was made about conceiving a son who would carry on the family name. Abraham took a different approach this time and waited patiently expecting God to do what he said He would do. Several years later Isaac was born and Abraham’s family lineage continued.

Has God promised you something that was great but you jumped in and tried to make it happen on your own? Was an Ishmael conceived in the process? Did you pick your fruit before it was ripe? If the answers to these questions are yes, don’t be discouraged. God always keeps his promises not matter what.

1 Peter 5:6 (NLT) says, “So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and at the right time he will lift you up in honor.” We have to continue to have faith in God’s promises and not focus on our current situations and circumstances. This will keep us from picking the fruit before it is ripe and allow us to enjoy the harvest the way God intended.

Peace and God Bless You

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