"The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart the mouth speaks." Luke 6:45
Beside this verse in the margin of my First Light New Testament I wrote "Spiritual Thermometer." We can gauge our spiritual temperature by taking an inventory of the words that are coming out of our mouth. If we find discouraging, critical, unkind, impure words and the like frequently coloring our conversation then we need to seek the healing of our heart from the evil that is plaguing it. If we find encouraging, helpful, kind, pure words and so on coming out of our mouth then we can give thanks for God's active grace that is producing His goodness in our heart.
Father, help me to hear my own words so that I can rightly gauge my heart condition. Heal me from all evil and produce your goodness in the depth of my being.
I'm praying for you.
Pastor Mark
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Luke’s version of the Sermon on the Mount exposes who we are too. During the many distresses, persecutions and tribulations experienced by the Lord Jesus never once did He utter an unkind word to those who did Him harm, nor do we find that kind of behavior in any of the epistles by His Apostles. Our words reveal much, a regenerated spirit by the Holy Spirit or a hypocrite. The words we speak will either identify with the holiness and righteousness of Christ; regenerated, spiritual, godly, clever, wise, good or unregenerate, carnal, ungodly, ignorant, foolish or bad. A good tree or a bad tree, the words we use reveals not only who we are but what we are too.
ReplyDeleteDear Lord I pray continually that my words will always be few and speak to glorify You with all holiness and honor. That they may render kindness, love and the stirring up of good works to all whom You place in my path.
I like in v.17 that JESUS stands in a level place.
ReplyDeleteHE had people coming from all around to see HIM.They came for healing,both physical and spiritual.They came maybe just to see what all the fuss was about.No matter their reason,JESUS made that approach as easy as possible.HE was on level ground amongst them.If we seek CHRIST,HE will make HIMSELF easily accessible.CHRIST knows the hardest part of our search is the realization that we need to be seeking HIM.So if we can make it that far HE will come to us on level ground.
Holy FATHER, Continue to give me the courage and wisdom to constantly be seeking JESUS,not only as my savior but as my teacher and my example of how YOU would have me live my life.