THE GLORIFIED STATE Devotion 7 of 25 – Tomorrow:
" . . . which bore twelve fruits, each tree yielding its fruit every month."
In sharp contrast with the cyclical nature of life in the flesh, a continual spiritual crop will be yielded in glory. There will be no famine or reduction of benefits – ever, or in any sense. There will be no period of fruitlessness – no time when fruit bearing ceases – not even for a season.
There will be no lack of productivity, and harvesting will be unending.
The fruit is diverse. The KJV reads, "twelve MANNER of fruits." The NKJV says, "twelve FRUITS" The NASB and NRSV read, "twelve KINDS of fruits," and the NIV reads, "twelve CROPS of fruit." Ezekiel's vision spoke in precisely the same manner. "Fruit trees OF ALL KINDS will grow on both banks of the river . . . Every month they will bear, BECAUSE the water from the sanctuary flows to them" (Ezek 47:12) . The words "twelve manner" is equivalent to "all kinds" of Ezekiel's vision. It speaks of thoroughness as well as diversity, with nothing lacking at any time.
The bearing of fruit "every month" signifies the absence of seasons. Hallelujah for the prospect of that circumstance! As in nature, so it is in grace. There are seasons – times when spiritual fruit flourishes, and times when it does not. There is such a thing as "in season AND out of season" (2 Tim 4:2). While we remain in this world, there is a time with which we much acquaint ourselves, that we might "know how to speak a word IN SEASON to him that is weary" (Isa 50:4). God's people must learn to "abound AND to suffer need" (Phil 4:12).
That is the nature of life in this world. The children of God are "troubled on every side, yet not distressed." They "are perplexed, but not in despair." They are "persecuted, but not forsaken," and "cast down, but not destroyed" (2 Corinthians 4:8-9). There are contradictory experiences that come upon the godly while they are in this world. These involve seasons when spiritual fortitude sometimes ebbs, and strength wanes. Paul described such experiences as being approved "by honor and dishonor, by evil report and good report: as deceivers, and yet true; as unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and, behold, we live; as chastened, and not killed; as sorrowful, yet alway rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things" (2 Corinthians 6:8-10).
But it will not be so in the world to come. There will be no fall, when the leaf begins to wither, life begins to wane, and fruit bearing is brought to cessation. There will never be a time when it will in any sense be said, "for the time of figs was not yet" (Mark 11:13). Nor, indeed, will there be winter, when deadness returns, and barrenness seems to reign. The Lord will never send a famine, and the food we need and love will never be scarce.
In glory, life will be experientially and discerningly sustained. In this world, our blessed Lord sustains our lives according to His promise: "I will never leave you nor forsake you" (Heb 13:5). However, this is not always apparent. Sometimes the most spiritual people of all live on the very border of despair. Hear the testimony of one of them. "For we would not, brethren, have you ignorant of our trouble which came to us in Asia, that we were pressed out of measure, above strength, insomuch that WE DESPAIRED EVEN OF LIFE: but we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God which raiseth the dead (2 Corinthians 1:8-9). And again, "Yet I supposed it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus, my brother, and companion in labor, and fellowsoldier, but your messenger, and he that ministered to my wants. For he longed after you all, and was full of heaviness, because that ye had heard that he had been sick. For indeed he was sick nigh unto death: but God had mercy on him; and not on him only, but on me also, LEST I SHOULD HAVE SORROW UPON SORROW" (Philippians 2:25-27).
During such times, the sensitive soul cries out to God, "Show Thyself!' (Psa 94:1). In faith, the trusting one speaks to his own soul, "Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted in me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him for the help of his countenance. O my God, my soul is cast down within me: therefore will I remember Thee from the land of Jordan, and of the Hermonites, from the hill Mizar" (Psalms 42:5-6). But in the world to come, no such cries will ever be heard! There will be obvious and accessible provision, with no season of scarcity. Praise the Lord for such marvelous promises!
I realize there are those who boast they are always glad, but they have lied to us. Those in the flesh, regardless of their spiritual; attainments, cannot consistently dwell on the top of the mountain. There is a part of them, their flesh, that is incapable of traversing on the mountains of glory, and in the heavenly places. It is like a carcass that they must drag around with them. It is the part of them to which Satan has access, and at which he hurls his fiery darts. But in the world to come, we will have done with this rotting corpse – the flesh. Then the unending supply of precious fruit that has existed all along will be fully available to us, with no separating veil between!
PRAYER POINT: Father, Your great salvation has brought a hearty appetite to my inner man. Through Jesus Christ I praise You for the prospect of an unending supply of satisfying fruit that will be manifold and continual.