Theological Commentary: Click Here
Discipleship Focus: Bear Fruit
- Bear Fruit: We bear fruit after we grow. Bearing fruit is ultimately the goal of abiding and the goal of being called into the Kingdom of God. However, while bearing fruit is our calling, it is not the end. We bear fruit so that we can then prune, abide, grow, and bear more fruit in another season. Bearing fruit is not the end, but rather only a portion of the whole rhythm of life into which God has called us.
Asa is a
great hidden gem in the Old Testament.
We don’t hear much about him.
Truth is, besides David and Solomon, we don’t hear much about most of
the kings of Israel. We may hear a bit
about Hezekiah from time to time. People
who know what they are talking about will occasionally bring up Josiah and his
reforms. I believe that Asa is one of
the best least-talked-about people in the Old Testament.
Look at what
happens in this chapter. A prophet comes
to Asa and puts challenge in front of him.
He invites Asa to seek the Lord.
He challenges Asa to bear fruit after finding the Lord. Asa hears.
He listens. He absorbs the
message that the Lord has for him. Then
he goes forth and acts!
It starts
with Asa taking courage. He goes out and
removes the false places of worship. He
repairs the temple of the Lord. He
brings the people together and worships.
Life in the country changes as Asa rises to the challenge and bears
fruit! The fruit of Asa spreads
throughout the people!
However,
look closely at the scope of Asa’s fruit.
Asa deposes his own grandmother from power. Imagine telling your grandmother that she is
no longer capable of having a place of authority among the people! Imagine the family pressure that Asa must
have felt. Yet Asa chose God’s ways over
the family. Asa bears true fruit, even
if it meant bearing fruit that was difficult and unpopular.
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