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Written by Sharit Saman Zapata, volunteer with Iron Rose Sister Ministries in Peru

There is a phrase that I heard years ago, and I still remember it because of how significant it was: "There is no such thing as coincidence, there is God-incidence". And to be honest, there were seasons in my life when I couldn't believe that, especially when I looked at my own spiritual life and felt like I wasn't "bearing fruit." I tried to do everything: I prayed more, served more, and demanded more of myself, trying to force the fruit on me, because somehow, I wanted to convince myself that I was useful to God. However, the more I tried to produce fruit by my own strength, the drier and more worn out I felt inside. But this passage in John 15:16 caused me to pause and reflect: "You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you" (NIV).

These words of Jesus were spoken in one of the most intense moments of His ministry, a few hours before His crucifixion, in the middle of the Last Supper with His disciples, just before He faced fear, loss, and confusion. Jesus reminded them of something essential: their calling did not begin with them; it began with Him.

They didn't come to Jesus by merit, and neither did we, because we were chosen, called and appointed by Him, and that changes everything. If He was the One who chose us, then our permanence does not depend on our perfection or our efforts. We are not holding Christ with our fragile hands; He sustains us. For a long time, for me, bearing fruit felt more like a burden than a privilege, almost as if God was waiting for spiritual results while I was trying to survive. Over time, I understood something: the real fruit is never born from pressure; it is born from permanence.

An apple tree does not strive to bear apples; it simply remains rooted where it receives life. That reminded me of when Paul writes, "continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose" (Php 2:12b-13). Our responsibility exists, yes, but it is God who makes transformation possible. He doesn't just ask us for fruit, He works in us to produce it. And it's a promise that's repeated in Hebrews 13:20-21 as well, "Now may the God of peace, […] equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever." To understand that companionship in the struggle is a great relief, to know that God never demands something without also providing what is necessary to fulfill it.

But Jesus does not speak of any fruit; He speaks to us of a fruit that remains. It is not something superficial, emotional, or momentary. He desires to form in us a transformed character that consistently reflects Christ, a fruit that shows that we give up our battles, that we die to ourselves and let Him be who others see, so that they see God at work in us even as we continue to struggle every day.

"So that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work...” (Col 1:10). To bear fruit is evidence of a life surrendered to God, it is to love when it is difficult, it is to serve when no one applauds, to remain faithful when no one is watching, it is to show Christ in a world desperate for hope. And imagine how God feels when he sees us doing the right thing, even knowing it wasn't easy. To surrender our will to Him is not to lose, it is to gain the peace of knowing that God has already seen what we do not yet see.

And finally, Jesus adds something surprising: "and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you" (Jn 15:16b). This doesn't mean that God promises to do everything we want; it means that when our life is aligned with His will, our prayers begin to reflect His heart, God's will becomes ours, and eventually everything is aligned.

Being chosen by Almighty God should thrill our souls, because He saw our potential even before we saw it. And perhaps most shocking of all, Almighty God chose to trust imperfect people like us to reflect His image to the world.

The real question is not whether you are capable enough to bear fruit; the real question is: Are you abiding long enough in Jesus to allow Him to produce in you fruit that truly abides?

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Written by Kenva Barr, volunteer with Iron Rose Sister Ministries in Texas

But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him. They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit. (Jer 17:7-8 NIV)

We are reminded to have confident trust in all seasons. Living the Christian life is beautiful. There are so many blessings that we receive daily, but there are also a lot of hard times we must endure. We can find ourselves feeling drained and empty at times. We endure pain and suffering, too. Even when we do our best, trials arise out of nowhere. These are our seasons of testing that can leave us feeling parched and weary. We may wonder, is God really listening to our prayers? If He cares for me, why do I feel so alone, and why do I have to go through this? Our scripture is a reminder to place our faith in God. The Greek word for faith also means to believe, and to trust… which is hard to do in times of “drought.” It is hard, but not impossible.

A confident trust in God leads us to do His will, despite what life throws at us. It is what drives us to praise even when our prayers may not be answered the way that we had hoped.

How can we have confident trust in all seasons? One way is to remember that Jesus warned us that the world would hate us, and the apostle Peter warned us to expect trials. Having a mindset that allows us to remember that “this is only for a season, and seasons always change” will help. Along the way, remember to keep praying and praising God. The Bible tells us that God will draw nigh to us if we draw nigh to Him, and we need His strength.

The evil one wants us to feel weakened and give up. He wants us to dismiss our faith so he can defeat us. He will remind you of your past sins to trap you with guilt, but you are already forgiven! He will put any obstacle in our way to stop us – even those we love – but we have God’s help. If you stumble, forgive yourself and pick yourself up; you have God’s grace. Remember, the enemy was already defeated at the cross.

Endurance is so important. Don’t allow your feelings to rule your actions. Keeping our focus on spiritual matters, especially when things go wrong, strengthens our faith. This is what it means to be rooted: you are unmovable. Keep following Jesus! Keep serving and loving others, and don’t neglect Bible study or worship. When possible, spend time with others of the faith to be strengthened. Share your struggles and how you have overcome them, too.

You never know who will benefit. Remember to ask for prayers when you feel overwhelmed, and talk to a trusted Christian who has gone through that struggle and can give you wise counsel. When I lack confident trust in God, and the scorching heat of fear and doubt try to burn me, I meditate on God’s promises for reassurance:

1. God will never leave me nor forsake me (Heb 13:5,6; Dt 31:6; Isa 41:10).
2. I can be content in every situation; Jesus is my peace (Jn 14:27; Eph 2:14).
3. In my weakness, God lends me His strength (2 Co 12:9).
4. God will meet all my needs (Php 4:19).
5. God gave me a Spirit of power, love, and discipline (2Ti 1:7).
6. If I put Him first, everything else will eventually fall into place (Mt 6:33; 2Co 5:9; Ecc 12:13).
7. Everything will work out for the best because I love God and do His will (Ro 8:28).
8. I can cast all my anxiety on God; He cares for me (Php 4:6,7; 1Pe 5:7).
9. God will keep me; I don’t need to be anxious (Rev 3:10; Mt 6:25-34).
10. God will fight for me (Jos 1:9).

Focusing on God’s promises helps anchor us in our faith. In any season, through any trial, we can confidently trust that God is in charge and that God has a plan for us (Jer 29:11).

What other promises of God can you think of, and how do these give you confident trust in Him?