The fruit of our thoughts

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Jeremiah 4-6; Psalm 14

TO CHEW ON: "Hear O earth!
Behold, I will certainly bring calamity on this people—
the fruit of their thoughts,
Because they have not heeded My words." Jeremiah 6:19


Any gardener or farmer knows that each plant can only produce the fruit that it was created to produce. He will never get apples from a corn plant or blackberries from a rose bush.

Fruiting plants can be a good picture of our lives. We might say that the type of plant we are is determined by our thoughts. Jeremiah predicted that the fruit of Judah's natural, anxious, idol-trusting thoughts would be calamity. As a plant they had turned from trusting God back to their old wild-vine status of trusting in themselves and idols.

What sort of fruit do our thoughts produce? If the seed of new life has been planted in our hearts (Ezekiel 36:25-27), we should be operating in a new thought paradigm. With Jesus as our Shepherd, Lord, King, Master, we will think differently than we did when we were wild vines or bushes.

• We "bring every thought into the captivity and obedience of Christ" - 2 Corinthians 10:4,5.

• We dwell on thoughts that will lead to Spirit fruit (Galatians 5:22)—thoughts that are pure, lovely, loveable, kind, winsome, gracious, virtuous, excellent and praiseworthy (Philippians 4:8).

• We ask for God's wisdom and act on His answers (James 1:5-8).

• We refuse to dwell on worrisome, anxious thoughts. Instead we unload those thoughts on Jesus in prayer and we reap the peace of God (Philippians 4:6-7).

I ask myself, do the above habits characterize my thought life? Yours? If Jeremiah 6:19 were written about us, what crop would describe the fruit of our thoughts?

Behold, I will certainly bring ___________ on ____(insert your name here)___,
The fruit of his/her thoughts.

PRAYER: Dear God, please help me to align my life with Kingdom principles, starting with my thoughts. I want the Spirit fruit of love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control to describe my life.  


PSALM TO PRAY: Psalm 14

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The Holy Bible, New King James Version Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. - Used with permission.