Deuteronomy 26:2  That thou shalt take of the first of all the fruit of the earth, which thou shalt bring of thy land that the LORD thy God giveth thee, and shalt put it in a basket, and shalt go unto the place which the LORD thy God shall choose to place his name there.

Let me start with this mindset: Fruit left on the vine, withers, rots and can no longer be useful. Fruit that has fallen to the ground, the result is the same.

So for fruit to be useful and fresh, its needs to be harvested, in its due time… at the right time.

• When looking at the fruits of the Spirit we apply this same mindset. They are all useless without being put into action (Harvested)

Galatians 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,

23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.

Part of being a Christian that can be use of God is to take the fruits of the spirit and put them to action, to harvest (if you will) our fruits of the Spirit is putting them in a basket where they can be enjoyed and useful; not rotting on the vine, not falling to the wayside not noticed.

A principle of the harvest is how much you sow, is how much you will reap…

2 Corinthians 9:6 But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully.

• You want love? Sow (give) love
• You want Joy? Sow (give) joy
• You peace? Sow (give) peace

What you plant is what you reap. Does an apple tree produce apples? Do you plant beans and reap potatoes? Follow that further, the fruit needs to be tended to, weeded, keeping the bugs out… you have to tend the garden to have a bountiful harvest.

7 Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.

8 And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work:

9 (As it is written, He hath dispersed abroad; he hath given to the poor: his righteousness remaineth for ever.

10 Now he that ministereth seed to the sower both minister bread for your food, and multiply your seed sown, and increase the fruits of your righteousness;)

11 Being enriched in every thing to all bountifulness, which causeth through us thanksgiving to God.

For many there comes a point when we plant bountifully, tend it and watch it grow to reap the bounty… The present the basket full to God you use as HE sees fit. This is spiritual maturity where you are not working to reap the bounty for yourself… but for God’s glory.

Deuteronomy 26:2  That thou shalt take of the first of all the fruit of the earth, which thou shalt bring of thy land that the LORD thy God giveth thee, and shalt put it in a basket, and shalt go unto the place which the LORD thy God shall choose to place his name there.

When we present our harvest to God, He will multiply our fruits of the Spirit for His glory, rather than ours.

1 Corinthians 3:5 Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers by whom ye believed, even as the Lord gave to every man?

6 I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase.

7 So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase.