During the three holy day seasons of the year, we are instructed not to appear before God in vain or with futility. Three seasons of each year, He asks us to come before Him so that He and we can see what His Word is accomplishing in us and how His creation is prospering. When He instructs us not to come before Him empty, He is saying, in principle, do not come before Me in futility or without a recognition of what My Word is accomplishing in your life. Come before Me with the spiritual fruit, the fruit of the Spirit, that I have been cultivating in you. Show Me the character that is developing. Demonstrate the faith, hope, and love that you are receiving from Me. Manifest what My Word is accomplishing and prospering in your life. We risk coming before God in vain or with futility during the festivals if we have not been working with Him all along to cultivate spiritual fruit. When we obey the command not to come before Him empty, void, or without producing any effect, it requires us to be aware at all times of the words He spoke, words that are prospering within His purpose this very moment. It obliges us to look continually for His signature, to keep His written creation top of mind, and to submit to His will with a pure heart every step of the way.

As God commands in Deuteronomy 16:16, His people shall not appear before Him without a demonstration of what His Word has produced. His Word causes things to happen: He spoke, and plants fit for our food were created; He spoke, and the sun appeared to give those plants light and energy; He spoke, and the seasons of the earth began their cycle; He spoke, and weather patterns were established to water the plants. Therefore, in three seasons throughout the year, God commands us to appear before Him and offer proof of what His Word has accomplished and caused to prosper. The fundamental instruction is that we should not appear before Him in vain or with futility, recognizing that His blessings extend far beyond the physical.

When God speaks, His Word initiates a process that may be instantaneous or unfold over a great deal of time, involving many elements. As seen in instances like Jesus commanding the man at the Pool of Bethesda to rise and walk, God's declarations can have immediate effect. However, often there is a significant duration between the initial Word, likened to rain or snow falling from heaven, and the final outcome, such as someone eating bread. Regardless of the time taken, the power behind God's pure Word ensures its accomplishment. His Word never returns to Him void, meaning it is never empty, useless, or in vain. God's commands are always fulfilled, never failing to produce an effect, as His utterances are never futile.

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.