first fruits

"In the exercise of His will He brought us forth by the word of truth, so that we would be a kind of  first fruits among His creatures."  James 1:18

The Means...

God brought us forth by exercising His will.  This suggests a deliberate, premeditated, and purposeful action on His part.  Wherever He has brought you today, it was not the result of an afterthought, a mistake, or simply a lack of action on His part.  He has a will, and He never hesitates to exercise it.

God also brought us forth by the word of truth.  1 Peter 1:23 goes further to say we have been "born again...through the living and enduring word of God."  He spoke the world into existence, and He spoke you into existence.  His loving words not only brought us into this physical realm, but also into a lasting, amazing relationship with Him if we accept His outstretched hand and invitation.

...to the End.

What does it mean to be part of God's first fruits?  Based on Jeremiah 2:3 and Revelations 14:4 (scriptures that were footnotes for this verse in my bible), I think it means to be set apart as holy to the Lord.   In the Jeremiah scripture, the prophet states that anyone who "devours" Israel will be overtaken by disaster.  So not only does God set us apart as holy, He also provides a hedge of protection around us to help keep us holy.

Additionally, being a first fruit is living your life as your sacrifice to God.  First fruits of the harvest were always set aside and offered up to God as a sacrifice of thanks, a humble way of thanking Him for protecting the crops and for His sovereignty.

The verse from Revelation that's referenced above describes "chaste" followers of God following the Lamb wherever He goes, and that they "have been purchased from among men as first fruits to God and to the Lamb" (14:4).  So being a first fruit means you follow Jesus....wherever He goes and wherever He takes you.  It means that you have been bought with a price, and as a result your overwhelming gratitude becomes one of the many reasons why all you want to do is follow Him.

I'm a far way away from really appreciating what it means to be one of God's first fruits.  Since these first fruits are described as "among men" or "among His creatures," that means, of course, that these first fruits are set apart and certainly do not include all of God's creation.  So with the many labels I'm continually adding to my identity (Chosen.  Royal.  Loved.  Saved.), I'm adding another one to the list:  First Fruit.  May I continue to delve further into this part of my identity as His child.

Where do you dwell?

"Terror and pit and snare confront you, O inhabitant of the earth." Isaiah 24:17

The prophecy in the twenty-fourth chapter of Isaiah concerns the entire earth, not just a selected kingdom or group of people. It has several parallels to prophecies outlined in the Book of Revelation, but one of them stuck out at me in particular.

This chapter is basically a sandwich in structure...it starts with chaos and destruction, has a few verses that glorify and praise God there in the middle, and then ends with more chaos and destruction. Verse 13 starts the praise section, describing a "shaking of an olive tree" and "the gleanings when the grape harvest is over." Basically God's judgment has already began its terrifying work, and numerous people have been wiped out. However, there is a remnant of His people leftover who "raise their voices and shout for joy" (verse 14). In the midst of unfathomable death and despair, they choose to marvel at God's majesty and righteousness and praise His name, saying "Glory to the Righteous One" (verse 16).

The latter part of verse 16 immediately shifts focus once again to fear and trembling, saying "woe to me," and verse 17 warns the inhabitants of the earth of the "terror and pit and snare" that will inevitably find them. When I looked up this verse using an online commentary (found here) it referenced Revelation, in which there are several verses that mention those who inhabit the earth (3:10, 6:10, 11:10, 13:12, and 13:14). There is also one verse that mentions those who dwell in heaven (13:6). The first group will experience the horrific consequences of their sin and the Antichrist's deception during the end times. The latter group will be with God in heaven and sit in His presence.

Here's the point....where we dwell now affects where we will dwell later. Whether we live long enough to see the prophecies in Revelation and Isaiah carried out or not, where we choose to dwell has a huge impact on our lives and our walk with God. If we choose to be an inhabitant of the earth, we will make worldly things our focus. We will strive and chase after wealth, live for our desires, and experience the consequences of our sin in both this life and the next. If we choose to sit with God in the heavenly places, we will chase after Him. We will live for Him. And we will experience the peace and comfort that can only be possible in the midst of terrible suffering because it's from Him.

And please don't let it escape your notice that we can be seated with Him in heavenly places in the here and now. This happens the moment we accept Jesus as our Savior (Ephesians 2:6). Although we live out our earthly lives wrapped up in flesh, our spirits are already in His presence, seeing Him face to face. Jesus lived a human life but continuously lingered in His Father's presence; why shouldn't we each enjoy the same privilege?

So as you go about during this busy week before Christmas, ask yourself, "where do I dwell?" Are you seated with Him in the heavenly places and letting His majesty and peace envelop everything you do, or are you dwelling on the earth and settling for whatever semblance of comfort it can try to scrape together for you? Dwell with Him. Talk with Him. Praise Him. Then even in the midst of hardship and despair, your first impulse will be to worship and glorify Him. I can think of no better attitude to have in a time such as this.