Dear Ones,
Hope you are keeping cool today! We had a couple brief showers and things are looking fresh again. This morning I made egg dishes and did food prep and went downstairs for donuts. This afternoon we have Bible Study and then going to friends for fellowship over coffee afterwards.
Devotions from Judy’s heart
What kind of a fruit are we known by? That which is in our hearts comes out in what we say and what we do. Jesus said in Luke 6:43-45 (NRSV), “No good tree bears bad fruit, nor again does a bad tree bear good fruit; for each tree is known by its own fruit. Figs are not gathered from thorns, nor are grapes picked from a bramble bush. The good person out of the good treasure of the heart produces good, and the evil person out of evil treasure produces evil; for it is out of the abundance of the heart that the mouth speaks.” We can hide what is in our hearts and put on a good show for a while, but eventually what is really in our hearts will become evident by the fruit in our lives. It’s what is inside that matters. The Message translation says, “It’s who you are, not what you say and do, that counts. Your true being brims over into true words and deeds.” We can’t fool people for long. If we want to know the character of another also, we can simply watch their actions and listen to what comes out of their mouth. Soon we will be able to tell if they are compassionate and kind or if they are consistently rude and unloving. One couple bought a house on property with fruit trees but they did not have the knowledge of what each tree was until the fruit appeared. They were pleasantly surprised to find they had an assortment of fruit trees and got to enjoy a variety of good fruit. Even if we should fool people for a time, the Lord is the fruit inspector and sees exactly what is in our hearts. Sometimes we may be surprised by our own unloving responses to those around us. We didn’t know that was deep down in our hearts and we must humbly seek forgiveness. The Lord is so pleased when we ask Him to change our hearts and make us more like Him, that we may bear good fruit for His glory.
Challenge for today: Ask the Lord to purify your heart and make you more and more like Him.
Blessings on your day and prayers and love, Judy
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