I have a word of encouragement for you from the Lord: Bloom first. Right where you are, you are to blossom and flourish! In the years when Israel’s patriarch Joseph was falsely imprisoned and rotting away in a dungeon, I’m sure he must have thought to himself that no good deed goes unpunished. In reality, he wasn’t aware of the fact that he was in prison because God was preparing him to become the nation’s most powerful leader. In Joseph’s story, the only way to become the king’s right-hand man was to be in the king’s prison first. You might be in prison, in an unfair job situation, or facing health challenges. Often, it feels like the end, but you are still in the middle of your journey!

Friend, as you learn to blossom, flourish, and bear fruit where you are instead of where you want to be, you realize that life gets better as you get better. You understand that life improves as you improve. Everything you have is right here, because of the Lord. It is possible to grow and flourish wherever the Lord is. Health, life, vision, fullness, and abundance are everywhere the Lord is! So much of bearing fruit involves tapping into life, knowledge, and resources right where you are.