I Love Apple Pie

Genesis 22:18

And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice.

One of my favorite pies is apple pie. I love apple pie! I cannot have a piece of an apple pie without an apple. However, an apple without an apple tree will never exist because an apple is the fruit of an apple tree. However, I cannot have an apple tree without an apple seed because the apple tree is the fruit of the seed. If I want to get the reward of the apple, I must have an apple tree, and if I want the reward of the apple tree, I must have an apple seed.

Here is the problem with the apple seed; I will never have an apple tree if I don't plant the seed. If I don't have an apple tree, I can never have an apple, and without the apple, I cannot have apple pie. It all comes down to taking the seed and planting it. I can hold onto that seed and dream about apple pie, but holding onto that seed never produces the tree, which produces the apple, which is used to make an apple pie. The apple pie is the blessing of planting the seed.

God’s blessings are the fruit of obedience. We want God’s blessings without obedience, but His blessings are simply a mirage without the faith to obey. God always requires obedience before He gives His blessings.

Let’s illustrate this truth using the context of the verse. God tempted Abram by asking him to take his only son and offer him as a burnt offering to God. Abram never questioned God, but immediately obeyed and took his son to the top of Mount Moriah. He laid his son on the altar and tied him to the altar, and it was when he was about ready to kill his son that God stepped in and stopped him. The great blessing of all nations of the earth being blessed through Abram’s seed came after he obeyed God. The apple pie for Abram was God blessing his seed, but the apple pie did not come without obedience.

You can want God’s blessings on your life, but you will never get it without obedience. Obedience is the planting of the apple seed. Without obedience, you will never see God’s blessings on your life. For instance, you can want financial blessings, but that never comes without tithes and offerings. You can want God to bless your family, but He won't bless your family until you obey Him by putting God first before your family. You can want God to bless your business, but you must put God before your business if you want His blessings on it. Obedience is always required before we enjoy God’s blessings.

Faith is the key to obedience. It takes faith to obey God. We don't want to step out on faith to enjoy the apple pie of God’s blessings, but you must plant the seed of obedience by faith before you see the apple pie of the miraculous happen in your life. You can dream about the apple pie, but you must take the seed and, by faith, plant that seed, do the work it takes to see the seed grow, and then work to harvest the apples before you can enjoy tasting the apple pie of the miraculous happening in your life.

What is it that you want God to do in your life? Do you want God to bless your ministry, finances, marriage, home, children, or business? God’s blessings start with faith to obey God, then you must work to harvest the fruit, and only then will you experience the blessing of the apple pie of God’s miracles in your life and ministry.