Exploring the concept of "empty," this message warns us about God's command not to return physical or spiritual blessings which He has bestowed upon us with zero fruit. The major example is Exodus 23, covering the three Feasts wherein our forebears were not to come empty after the agricultural produce bestowed upon them. But empty is not just monetary, as was shown with Saul's military campaigns which he often victoriously completed. We observe in Isaiah 55 that God's word does not return in futility but rather proceeds as a chain of interlocking events instead of a spontaneous outcome. Our spiritual growth, likewise, should be a constant process of becoming increasingly godlike. As each day unfolds, we should continually grow to a new depth of godly character as God gives us the opportunity to become His first fruits. It requires heavy labor to bear fruit, cultivating the healthy spiritual soil which we are commanded to dress and keep. We cannot foolishly think that we will achieve spiritual growth merely by passively standing in close proximity to God's word or His church.

God employs agricultural metaphors to illustrate spiritual growth, emphasizing that He is the One who gives the increase to the crop in His field. He provides the essential resources—water, nutrients, sunlight—and the ministry to aid progress, ensuring His sons and daughters have what they need to reach maturity. Yet, the plant must also play its part; it cannot merely stand in the soil and do nothing. The seed, activated by water, must put out roots and a shoot, using the provided resources to grow in height, develop a head, display flowers, and eventually produce fruit. If the seeds never respond to God's blessings, not one sprout would break the soil's surface. Similarly, God supplies knowledge, environment, energy, gifts, and all that is necessary for a Christian to grow and bear spiritual fruit, but the individual must consistently respond to His providence to bring about growth. A caution follows that each must be careful in their response, for just as a plant that responds poorly withers and dies, so too does a Christian who fails to engage properly with what God provides. God has planted us in His field, seeking spiritual growth to harvest us for His Kingdom, and He promises that the Sun of Righteousness shall arise with healing in His wings, fostering growth for those who fear His name.

In the Parable of the Sower, Jesus employs agricultural metaphors to illustrate the varying responses to the gospel of the coming Kingdom of God. A farmer sows seed, representing God's Word, which falls on different types of soil, symbolizing the diverse conditions of human hearts. Some seeds land on hard, unplowed ground, where they cannot sink in and are quickly devoured by birds, depicting those who hear the message but fail to internalize it. Stony ground, with little soil, offers insufficient nourishment for seeds to root deeply; though they sprout quickly, they wither under the sun's heat, mirroring individuals who initially respond to God's truth but lack the depth to endure trials or persecution. Thorny ground represents those distracted by the anxieties of life and the deceitful lure of wealth, where the seed is choked and fails to produce fruit, showing how worldly concerns can hinder spiritual growth. In contrast, fertile and rich soil symbolizes hearts softened by God's calling, receiving His Word genuinely and bearing abundant fruit, with yields of a hundred, sixty, or thirty grains for each seed sown, reflecting the productive response God desires from those He calls.

God desires us to produce much fruit, as Jesus teaches in John 15, emphasizing that we can achieve this only by remaining in Him, the Vine, which extends from the roots. As stated in Colossians 2:7, we are rooted and built up in Him, drawing strength, stability, and every necessary resource from Christ and the Father in heaven to bear fruit. The Parable of the Sower in Matthew 13:3-9, 18-23 illustrates that strong, deep roots are essential to sustain us through adversity, preventing us from withering under the blazing sun, violent wind, or excessive rain. Like the deeply-rooted tree in Jeremiah 17:7-8, we are to trust in the LORD, standing firm even in drought, connected to the Source of living water. Producing godly fruit is a gradual process, not happening overnight, but requiring time to develop a growing connection with God. Just as a variety of Chinese bamboo shows no visible growth for five years while its root structure develops underground, only to surge dramatically to over 80 feet in six weeks when the time is right, so too does God work in us, fostering growth even when it is not apparent. If we abide in Him and persevere in cultivating our relationship with God, we will bear fruit, and He will be glorified. Another parable of Jesus highlights a fruitless tree that, despite having roots and receiving sunlight and rain, produces nothing, merely existing and using up ground. This parable underscores the importance of not inhibiting the process of bearing fruit, as the owner considers cutting down the tree, though the keeper, representing Christ, requests more time to encourage productivity.

In the Parable of the Growing Seed, unique to Mark, Jesus employs agricultural metaphors to illustrate the spiritual development of those whom God calls within the present manifestation of His Kingdom. He likens this process to the natural growth of a seed into a full-grown, food-producing plant, emphasizing its invisible and somewhat mysterious nature. Just as a farmer sows seed and trusts in its growth without fully understanding how it happens, a minister scatters the seed of God's word and continues his tasks, unaware of the intricate ways God works behind the scenes. God, as the Prime Mover, provides the necessary resources—light, warmth, water, and nutrients—to germinate the seed and nurture it into maturity, looking forward to the fully developed plant with ripened fruit, which represents spiritual maturity. Similarly, a Christian grows in stages, often imperceptibly, through God's unseen efforts, which may not be discernible even to those who cultivate and feed the individual, yet growth occurs, sustained by His invisible hand.

In the Bible, trees often serve as powerful metaphors for God's people. Psalm 1:1-3 beautifully illustrates this, comparing a blessed person to a tree planted by rivers of water, bearing fruit in its season with leaves that never wither, prospering in all endeavors. This tree, representing an individual among God's chosen, is deliberately planted by Him, nourished by streams symbolizing His Holy Spirit, ensuring growth and productivity for the good works He intends. Trees offer profound lessons through their attributes. They draw most of their nutrition from the atmosphere, akin to how God's people receive spiritual sustenance through His Spirit. Trees grow from the top, mirroring the spiritual growth of individuals as God expands their minds with knowledge. As branches on the vine of Jesus Christ, they are placed where He desires, fed by Him to produce the fruit He seeks. Moreover, trees influence their environment by transpiring water into the sky, much like God's children, through proper words and good works, allow the Holy Spirit to flow in and out, receiving more as they give. Trees absorb harmful carbon dioxide and release life-giving oxygen, paralleling how God's people endure trials, store away lessons, and provide a godly example for others. They also capture the sun's energy, reflecting how even a small portion of His Spirit can yield immense spiritual growth and potential in His followers. The Tree of Life, a central symbol from the Garden of Eden to New Jerusalem, embodies a way of life rooted in overcoming and obedience. It stands as a promise of eternal life, lining the banks of the river from God's throne, producing abundant fruit for all eternity. Through His grace, those He plants have the opportunity to partake of this tree, growing into vast orchards of godly trees in His Kingdom.