Be Ready In Season and Out of Season

Mark 11:13
Seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to see whether perhaps he would find anything on it. When he came to it, he found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs.

When I first began preaching over 20 years ago my pastor told me to always keep a sermon in my pocket and in my heart because I never knew when someone would ask me to preach. He was teaching me to be prepared in season and out of season.

Les Brown, great motivational speaker once told a story about how he always wanted to be a DJ at a local radio station. He got a job cleaning up just to get a foot in the door. He would practice in the mirror pretending to be a DJ. One night the regular DJ got drunk and couldn’t come on the air. Les Brown begged the manager for a chance to come on. He got on the air like an old pro because he practiced out of season and was prepared in an unexpected season.

Jesus saw a fig tree in the distance in leaf. It had the potential to be fruitful but he wouldn’t know until he got up on it. Somebody is watching you blossom from a distance. They are at a distance watching you progress and you are unaware. How you carry yourself in this season is vital because they will not approach you unless you have signs of potential. Always carry yourself as if a potential employer is watching with binoculars.

The bible says Jesus was hungry. It wasn’t the season for figs but the master was hungry. We are living in hungry times and in a season where jobs are scarce. You don’t know when or where someone is looking for their next fruitful employee but will you be ready when they approach you?

When Jesus approached the tree it was leafy but had no fruit because it was not the season for fruit, but he cursed the tree anyway. “May no one ever eat fruit from you again.’ Why would Jesus expect fruit from a tree in the wrong season and then curse it?

Because the tree symbolized the Temple and the religious leaders of His day. They were leafy but not righteous. They were leafy but not relevant. They were leafy but not spiritually fruitful. The Church and Christians must be prepared in season and out of season. No one knows the hour or the day when He is coming but you better be ready when He comes.

Dear God, prepare me to be a living sanctuary for you. Let my life be fruitful and not just leafy. I’m available in all seasons, winter, spring, summer, or fall. All you have to do is call and I will be ready.

In Jesus Name,
Amen.