DCLM DAILY MANNA DEVOTIONAL FOR SEPTEMBER 9, 2023 (GOOD FRUIT FROM GOOD HEART)
TOPIC : GOOD FRUIT FROM GOOD HEART
Text: Luke 6:37-49 (KJV)
37 Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven:
38 Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.
39 And he spake a parable unto them, Can the blind lead the blind? shall they not both fall into the ditch?
40 The disciple is not above his master: but every one that is perfect shall be as his master.
41 And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but perceivest not the beam that is in thine own eye?
42 Either how canst thou say to thy brother, Brother, let me pull out the mote that is in thine eye, when thou thyself beholdest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite, cast out first the beam out of thine own eye, and then shalt thou see clearly to pull out the mote that is in thy brother’s eye.
43 For a good tree bringeth not forth corrupt fruit; neither doth a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.
44 For every tree is known by his own fruit. For of thorns men do not gather figs, nor of a bramble bush gather they grapes.
45 A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh.
46 And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?
47 Whosoever cometh to me, and heareth my sayings, and doeth them, I will shew you to whom he is like:
48 He is like a man which built an house, and digged deep, and laid the foundation on a rock: and when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently upon that house, and could not shake it: for it was founded upon a rock.
49 But he that heareth, and doeth not, is like a man that without a foundation built an house upon the earth; against which the stream did beat vehemently, and immediately it fell; and the ruin of that house was great.
KEY VERSE: “For a good tree bringeth not forth corrupt fruit; neither doth a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. For every tree is known by his own fruit. For of thorns men do not gather figs, nor of a bramble bush gather they grapes.” – (Luke 6:43,44)
MESSAGE
The story is told of “a store manager who heard his clerk say to a customer, “No, ma’am, we haven’t had any for a while, and it doesn’t look as if we’ll be getting any soon”. Horrified, the manager came running over to the customer and said, “Of course we’ll have some soon. We placed an order last week”. Then the manager drew the clerk aside. “Never”, he snarled, “Never, never say we’re out of any ware – say we have it on order and it’s coming. Now, what was it she wanted anyway?” The clerk said, “Rain!” Imagine the embarrassment the manager had caused himself.
The human heart is the seat of all actions. Everything we think, say and do proceeds from the heart. While teaching the multitude, Jesus made a profound statement that establishes the direct relationship between what a person says and the condition of his heart. He illustrated His point by using the analogy of a fruit-bearing tree. From this illustration, we can deduce that the heart is the tree and words and actions are the fruits. Just as trees bear fruits according to their nature, so will actions and words reveal the very nature of the heart.
Since actions reveal the nature of the heart, a person who lies, fornicates, gossips, bears false witness and deceives, no doubt, has a corrupt heart. However, if the heart is good, pleasant, honest, just and pure, it is concluded the person is also good. No man can bring out something clean from an unclean vessel (James 3:11,12).
If you want your words and actions to be gracious to men and pleasing to God, then your heart must be converted and regenerated first. To have this experience, you must surrender your life to Christ, repent of your wicked ways, confess your sins and be forgiven. Secondly, pray for the circumcision of your heart and ask for the baptism of the Holy Ghost. Then, daily study, meditate and store God’s words in your heart. Be conscious of your words and actions, and pray for grace to live for God every day and everywhere.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:
Gracious utterances come from a regenerated heart.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
Psalm 107-109
Daily Manna is the daily devotional of the Deeper Christian Life Bible Ministry (DCLM) written by Pastor W. F. Kumuyi. It is an extraction of God’s Word designed to draw the sincere seeker closer to God on a daily basis through an insightful exposition and analysis of God’s Word.