I’m mad about factories and manufacturing processes. If I ever had the chance to study something different, I suspect I would’ve chosen something to do with engineering, designing manufacturing processes.

A friend of mine knew this about me and took me to see his fruit being packed. The way the fruit was scanned and photographed within seconds was really amazing. The photos of each fruit determined to which station it went to.

The fruit would stay in their containers until they got to the station where they were sorted and woosh!, the container’s bottom would drop off and each fruit would be sorted and packed in a box with others of the same size and quality.

The quality of the fruit cultivated by the farmers in our country is awesome. I longed to taste the best of the best. Sadly, we don’t see much of these fruit in our local shops. Usually, the best fruit are exported.

In the Old Testament God received the best of the best. The first-born animals were sacrificed to Him. The best fruit were set aside for Him. The people wanted to and did set aside the best for Him. Their God deserved to have the first and the best.

In a way, we who heard the Gospel of Jesus and who accepted Him are the first and the best fruit too. We are the first part of His harvest and obviously are the export fruit too.

¹⁸He brought us to life using the true Word, showing us off as the crown of all his creatures.

In the original translation the “crown of all His creatures” refer to first fruit. We are the “crown of all His creatures”, the first fruit set aside for God. We are the first-born, the first fruit, who have to play our part as God’s best export products.

We have to be the fruit that God wants to give to people who long for joy and who search for real peace in the world. We have to go and look for the people who thirst for the Living Water and quench their first.

The first-born who brings the first fruit, and that is us, have a responsibility to live what we were called for. We are the perfect gift for people who have not yet chosen God.

May our lives reflect the quality of fruit that God has in mind for the people around us. May we be His export grapes that the rest of the world long for. May we always be on the lookout for places where God wants to use us.

Scripture
James 1:12-18

Reflection
What does your fruit look like?
How can you improve the quality of your fruit?
Where do you have to go and share your fruit?

Prayer
Our Father, sometimes the quality of my fruit is awful and it worries me. I know I have to share my fruit with others. I want to share my fruit with others. Help me to cultivate better quality fruit. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.