Acts 4:13 When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus.
“The tree with the sweetest fruit attracts the most stones”.
A tree that is laden with fruit attracts attention; similarly, those who are filled with the Holy Spirit and bear the fruit of love, joy, peace, patience, goodness, kindness, meekness, and self-control attract people. Fruitfulness draws envy and animosity of the world. The courage of the uneducated fisherman Peter and his best mate John astonished the highly educated Pharisees of the Sanhedrin. They acknowledged that the wisdom of these unkempt men was from Jesus as they had been hanging out with Him.
Also, when Stephen responded to the men who argued with him, they could not stand up against the wisdom the Spirit gave him as he spoke (Acts 6:10). Hence, they coined a false accusation against him. The fruit of wisdom was far from their reach hence they stoned Stephen to death.
Jesus taught His disciples the secret of becoming fruitful and bearing abundant and lasting fruit. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit (John 15:5). Feeding on God’s word and constantly fellowshipping with Him will make us faithful and extremely fruitful. Joseph is a fruitful vine, a fruitful vine near a spring, whose branches climb over a wall (Genesis 49:22). Sweetest fruit is always on the highest branch. Again, the fellowship and faithfulness of Joseph made him a blessing to the nations.
Fellowship and Fruitfulness:
- Feed: Feed on God’s word and you will remain successful and fruitful even in tough and difficult times. “They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit”(Jeremiah 17:8).
- Fellowship: Constant fellowship and ceaseless prayer life will make it obvious that we have been with Jesus. Fellowship with Jesus makes us wise, sober and vigilant.
- Faithful: Enduring faith in trials and tests matures the fruit of faithfulness.
Abundant, consistent and lasting fruitfulness is the evidence that we have been with Jesus.
Prayer: Dearest Lord Jesus, I will remain in You and Your Word will remain in me. Amen.
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