Saturday morning, 7:47 am. Good morning good people. I trust u’ve had a properous week. This week I’ve jumped several hurdles. One very important one is that I got accepted into a really awesome writing program. I’m one step closer to my writing dreams. God has been faithful, as He always is, and I give thanks. Another thing, today is my friend Enoch’s birthday. I feel like I’ve known him forever but when I saw that it was his birthday, I realised that I haven’t really known him that long. It’s the 1st time I get to tell him “happy birthday”. Guess that’s why I was so eager and I told him that Yesterday :-). Anyway, Happy Birthday to Enoch.
So last week I wrote about how I was starting a study on The Fruit of The Spirit. So, the first thing I did was type in the word ‘fruit’ into Bible.com . I came across a numerous number of passages in the Bible that mention ‘fruit’. I haven’t read through all of them but I have gathered quite some insight into the matter. The first verse that appealed to me was Genesis 1:28 ‘And God blessed them, and God said unto them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it; and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.”‘
In the Bible, the word fruit is used in different contexts and potrays different meanings. ‘The fruit of her womb'(meaning children) ‘The fruit of any tree in the garden’ (refering to actual fruit). The above verse was the first thing God charged human beings with. The first assignment/command. In this instance, ‘be fruitful’ is taken to mean have children and grow the human race. Looking at it in a deeper way, however, I was able to liken it to Matthew 28:19 “Go ye, therefore into all the world and make for me disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of The Father and of The Son and of The Holy Spirit” .
This was the last assignment that Christ left His disciples. To preach the gospel to all nations. So how do I liken this to ‘Be fruitful’? In the previous post, I shared John 15 where Jesus told His disciples that they neede to abide in Him in order to bear fruit. Let’s talk about fruit. Trees that bear fruit don’t do so for their benefit. There is nothing that a tree needs fruit for. A tree’s food comes from the soil, water and light (rememeber photosynthesis). Therefore, fruit is what comes forth form a tree that is well fed. Fruit has two functions. It can be eaten, by people and other animals and it carries seed. Fruit is a trees way of multiplying.
So, when Jesus told the disciples that He chose them to bear fruit (Jn 15:16), the fruit was meant for other people. Thus, ‘Go and make disciples’ is somewhat similar to ‘be fruitful and multiply’.What this has taught me is that, while looking at ‘The Fruit of The Spirit’, the first thing I need to realise is that fruit is not for myself, but for other people.
The Bible is a very insightful book. It gives alot of teachings on what God wants o us and how we are to achieve it. It’s like a life manual. In my study, I’ve come across a number of passages that tell the things one needs in order to ‘bear fruit’. Two such verses stood out to me. Jeremiah 17:7-8 “Blessed is the man that trusteth in the LORD, and whose hope the LORD is. For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit.” and
Psalms 1: 1-3 “Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.”
Have a blessed weekend.
Heaven Bound 