Devotional

Delayed Fruit Doesn't Mean No Fruit

As 2025 draws to an end and we enter into 2026, many find themselves goal-setting for the year ahead, as well as reflecting on the past 12 months.

For some believers, this can be a time of frustration as they realize that 2025 wasn’t perhaps their most “successful” year to log.

Whether that’s in business, fitness / health, starting on that book you’ve always wanted to write, and so on.

Simply put, 2025 didn’t seem to produce much (if any) fruit in their eyes.

However, just because you can’t identify any fruit produced from the past year, it doesn’t make it a voided year by any means.

Remember that there are seasons for any crop - and spiritually, those seasons don’t always (seldomly in fact) align with the calendar year as we know it.

Another factor to keep in mind is that we’re all at different stages of the cycle with our crops - some are harvesting, some are watering, some are planting, and some are enduring.

Just because, to your eyes, there may not seem to be an abundance of harvest that was acquired in 2025, doesn’t mean that you are worthless or void as a believer.

Perhaps it was a year where you planted numerous seeds - whether that be sewing into someone's life, taking small steps towards a big goal you’ve always had a desire to accomplish, or maybe it was enduring a storm that almost took everything from you, but you’re still standing.

During one of our morning Solomon’s Circle meetings weeks ago, we were speaking about the same topic when Jon mentioned, “it’s almost like looking outside at a plant in the wintertime, no leaves, looks dry and nearly dead, but it still has 1 small fruit hanging on.”

At that time, Errol began to smile, paused the meeting, and faced his camera out of his window to display the exact image Jon had just described.

Take note that this was in early December, with the weather hovering around a cool 40 degrees. 

As believers, it’s easy to beat ourselves up because, to our eyes and even on paper, our accomplishments for a period of time can seem remiss.

But it’s equally, if not more important, to apply perspective and context.

Did you pray more than usual in 2025? 

Perhaps you were a light to others, setting an example of what it means to be Christ-like, thereby planting a seed in someone that, with time, may result in them drawing closer to God.

Did you attempt to dive into the Word more? Maybe you made it a goal to attend church more, or dedicated more time and attention to working on a goal that’s been close to your heart for some time.

As we enter into 2026, do not let the enemy steal your joy, hopes, and excitement for what God has planned for you in this new year by festering on the things that seemingly didn’t go as planned for you in 2025.

“Surely there is a future, and your hope will not be cut off.” - Proverbs 23:18

Your fruit is there, it’s just still ripening.

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