Leaves But No Fruit

In Luke 18:8 Jesus is saying: Will I really find confident assurance and conviction in God when I return?” Or, on the other hand, will He find confident assurance that God doesn’t care, won’t act on their behalf, or that the problems that exist in my life are too big for God to handle?
Jesus is actually teaching the disciples about the fig tree in this passage. The thing is-it looked like a fig tree. There were a lot of green leaves but it was missing the very thing that Jesus needed from it, and the thing for which it had been designed. The root system was deep enough to bear leaves but not fruit.
I know that there have been times in my past, when I have heard a Word from God, and got so excited about it. It really sounded good. But when the test came in order to establish that word in my root system, I caved in. I only looked like a believer. I may have sounded like a believer when I was praying with someone but in my heart my confident assurance was in the power of the circumstance or the person to defeat me. I had leaves but no fruit.
The funny thing is I have a fig tree in my back yard. It is HUGE right now. There are leaves everywhere. But no figs. Not one, NADA! Zilch! You know why? It’s not the season for figs. But if I go out there and search diligently I will find the seeds preparing to grow the fruit. Later this summer, I will be able to go and pick tons of figs. In fact, there will be so many that my friends can come and pick figs too. It will be doing what it was designed to do.
Right now you may be more leaves than fruit. It’s okay, the seeds are there, ready to be cultivated into the fruit Jesus has designed you to bear. The thing is, you have to have confident assurance of that. He’s already planned for your success, so you can’t look at your “now” and predict your future. Like Hannah, you may look a little foolish believing God in impossible situations. You may sound crazy to other people. In fact, people may tell you, “Don’t get your hopes up!” But Hannah’s confident assurance in God brought the greatest prophet of all time into the earth. She didn’t give up, give out or give in. Don’t you do it either!

One of my favorite scriptures for many years is II Timothy 1:12: “For I know Whom I have believed (am fully convinced of) and am persuaded ( convinced and confident) that He is able (strong, mighty, and powerful) to keep that which I have given to Him.” It places the emphasis where it should be, on God. Just like Jesus said. Your job is to believe, be convinced and confident and give the situation into His keeping. His job is to be who He says He is and to be strong, mighty and powerful to do what He says He will do. And He will. I LOVE that about Him!