Proverbs 15:6

“Great and priceless treasure is in the house of the [consistently] righteous one [who seeks godly instruction and grows in wisdom], But trouble is in the income of the wicked one [who rejects the laws of God].” AMP‬‬

Right after I graduated from college, I started working for a large company. Even though I was just beginning my career, my mind would occasionally advance to my “future” of being a big executive in the big company…driving to work in a big car, working in a big office, drawing a big paycheck. Now I knew I would have to work hard to get there, but I had already determined what the fruit of my labor would be.

So what happened? Life happened, under the sovereign hand of God. The company I worked for was soon purchased by a larger company, who later was purchased by an even larger company. So my dream of “big executive fruit” ended up being different than I expected.

Although I don’t have any biological children, I have a beautiful wife of over 30 years, two sons, seven grandchildren, a fantastic church family and about a dozen other “children” that I’ve been able to mentor and walk through life with. I even have a cool dog that loves my belly rubs.

My original plan was to be rich in dollars and prestige for myself, but God made me even richer in ways I couldn’t imagine.

When you choose to trust God with your life, many of your plans may change, especially the ones that are driven by selfish ambition. There is nothing wrong with being financially wealthy, but God’s ultimate plan for your life is to transform you to be a reflection of the character and nature of Christ (Romans 8:28-30). That process can take many forms over a long period of time.

What kind of fruit are you nurturing by the conduct of your life? Will it yield the fruits of righteousness, or the income of one who rejects the laws and wisdom of God? Are your primary ambitions to serve Him and others, or yourself only?

Or, has life taken some unexpected turns and you just can’t seem to figure out what’s going on? God has ultimate sovereignty over life. Through the circumstances of life, and the interactions with others, He reveals Himself over time in ways we can’t anticipate.

So, what kind of fruit do you want in life? A walk of righteousness may involve disappointment, challenges and even pain, but you will never walk alone without the Source of peace, wisdom, strength and comfort. And through this life you will see the sovereign Lord reveal Himself more and more to you in ways you can’t imagine.