In today's devotional, we drew several lessons from the teachings of Jesus. My emphasis this morning is on the tree (the heart) and its fruit. Here, Jesus taught that the tree is what determines the fruit; whether good or bad or type.
"“A good tree can’t produce bad fruit, and a bad tree can’t produce good fruit. A tree is identified by its fruit. Figs are never gathered from thornbushes, and grapes are not picked from bramble bushes. A good person produces good things from the treasury of a good heart, and an evil person produces evil things from the treasury of an evil heart. What you say flows from what is in your heart."
Luke 6:43-45 NLT.
How is this applicable? Oftentimes we wonder how we can tell people apart and whether we can tell who they are before we open up and trust them. Jesus says it's their fruit that tells us the kind of tree they are. Don't look at what people are saying, pay by far more attention to what they are doing.
Secondly, Jesus tells his audience the reason why this is so; it's a matter of the heart. The heart determines what we see in the life of the individual. If the heart is good, the life will be. If the heart is bad, corrupted, bitter and angry, the life will be too. In other words, what people do ultimately are the product of what is in their hearts, in some way, they are speaking from their hearts with their actions.
