LENTEN MEDITATION 15 ~ ~ ~ The Fruits
For the Year of Our LORD, 2.20.08
Against thee, thee only, have I sinned,
and done this evil in thy sight:
that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest,
and be clear when thou judgest.
Psalm 51:4
We sin so lightly.
It is with a shrug we sullenly turn our face away from Truth and proceed on with “our” program. We don’t care if it hurts HIM+. As a matter of fact, we don’t even want to hear about it.
Have we ever had a friend… or worse, a family member… treat us like that?
For the Year of Our LORD, 2.20.08
Against thee, thee only, have I sinned,
and done this evil in thy sight:
that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest,
and be clear when thou judgest.
Psalm 51:4
We sin so lightly.
It is with a shrug we sullenly turn our face away from Truth and proceed on with “our” program. We don’t care if it hurts HIM+. As a matter of fact, we don’t even want to hear about it.
Have we ever had a friend… or worse, a family member… treat us like that?
Yes, most of us would sadly say.
When we proceed on, headlong and determined, to do something, achieve something, get something, or enter a job or situation… or alas, even a marriage… out of The LORD’S Holy Will, we sin. How do we recognize that it is sin? By the fruit.
Fruit, we see, is The LORD’S great blessing to us. Because human beings are dull of hearing and slow of heart to hear The LORD, we must learn through our senses. We are all tactile learners in this regard. We simply want our own way. Our conniving minds are well-practiced at reasoning out why what we want
When we proceed on, headlong and determined, to do something, achieve something, get something, or enter a job or situation… or alas, even a marriage… out of The LORD’S Holy Will, we sin. How do we recognize that it is sin? By the fruit.
Fruit, we see, is The LORD’S great blessing to us. Because human beings are dull of hearing and slow of heart to hear The LORD, we must learn through our senses. We are all tactile learners in this regard. We simply want our own way. Our conniving minds are well-practiced at reasoning out why what we want
"must certainly" be the Will of The LORD for our lives.
Thus, HE+ blesses us with the fruit of our decisions.
Fruit gets our attention better than a sounding trumpet. Why?
Thus, HE+ blesses us with the fruit of our decisions.
Fruit gets our attention better than a sounding trumpet. Why?
The trumpet blast is over and done with quickly, even though the blast may have frightened us or pierced our ears.
Fruit, however, is long-lasting.
That blessed fruit of our decisions
brings deep inner conviction to our souls.
The fruit of walking within His+ Holy Will helps us to grow.
The fruit of walking within His+ Holy Will helps us to grow.
This fruit comes about by taking heed to His+ Word.
We put into practice those things HE+ has told us, for instance, in Matthew chapters 5, 6, and 7. We make our activities to come into order with His+ Word.
What HE+ says in His+ Word
becomes our priorities in our lifestyle.
Did HE+ say, “Seek ye first the Kingdom of GOD, and HIS Righteousness?” Yes, it does. Then we will make serving HIM+ our priority in every area. We will seek His+ Will and counsel before taking a step. We learn what His+ Will is by practicing, practicing, practicing our submission to HIM+, both through the written Word and listening in prayer.
Did HE+ say, “Take no thought for the morrow…”? Yes, HE+ did. Do we repent, then, of taking thought… constant thought… of what we are going to eat, wear, use, pay the bills with yesterday, today, and for many tomorrow’s ?
Did HE+ say, “Seek ye first the Kingdom of GOD, and HIS Righteousness?” Yes, it does. Then we will make serving HIM+ our priority in every area. We will seek His+ Will and counsel before taking a step. We learn what His+ Will is by practicing, practicing, practicing our submission to HIM+, both through the written Word and listening in prayer.
Did HE+ say, “Take no thought for the morrow…”? Yes, HE+ did. Do we repent, then, of taking thought… constant thought… of what we are going to eat, wear, use, pay the bills with yesterday, today, and for many tomorrow’s ?
No...
rather we judge such Christians to be wise and prudent and yes, even Godly.
We do not say, “Wait a minute; he is breaking the Word of God.
He will reap the fruit of anxiety instead of Godly peace.
Let’s pray for him for he got tricked into listening unto man rather than unto GOD.”
Does His+ Word say, “I will put no wicked thing before my eyes” ? Yes, it does. Then we will toss out all books, magazines, tv shows, dvd’s, and computer input which are wicked. Music which promotes the flesh must go also
Does His+ Word say, “I will put no wicked thing before my eyes” ? Yes, it does. Then we will toss out all books, magazines, tv shows, dvd’s, and computer input which are wicked. Music which promotes the flesh must go also
… which might include some with Christian labels.
Does His+ Word say, “Love your enemies,” or shoot them, Christians ?
Do we take heed to His+ Word
and follow His+ counsel?
It is His+ will that we do;
that is why it is written down for us…
so that we know what HE+ wants us to do!
Should HE+ then give us more direction
for our particulars in life
IF WE IGNORE parts of HIS+ WILL
that IS ALREADY plainly written?
The fruit of listening to the counsel of our own flesh and heart and mind makes us sorrowful, angry, resentful, and bitter. It robs us of our peace in CHRIST. Then, we have many, many other battles to deal with before we get out of that ravine. Unfortunately for us, that ravine most often could have been avoided.
Does His+ Word say, “Love your enemies,” or shoot them, Christians ?
Do we take heed to His+ Word
and follow His+ counsel?
It is His+ will that we do;
that is why it is written down for us…
so that we know what HE+ wants us to do!
Should HE+ then give us more direction
for our particulars in life
IF WE IGNORE parts of HIS+ WILL
that IS ALREADY plainly written?
The fruit of listening to the counsel of our own flesh and heart and mind makes us sorrowful, angry, resentful, and bitter. It robs us of our peace in CHRIST. Then, we have many, many other battles to deal with before we get out of that ravine. Unfortunately for us, that ravine most often could have been avoided.
It is with great bitterness to realize we did it to ourselves.
Spiritual fruit, good or bad, hangs around in front of our face, showering us with joy in the inward man or peppering us with constant consequences.
Against thee, thee only, have I sinned,
and done this evil in thy sight:
that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest,
and be clear when thou judgest.
Psalm 51:4
When we sin, when we disregard His+ plain Word to us, when we plunge headstrong into our own program, we hurt ourselves, yes.
Spiritual fruit, good or bad, hangs around in front of our face, showering us with joy in the inward man or peppering us with constant consequences.
Against thee, thee only, have I sinned,
and done this evil in thy sight:
that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest,
and be clear when thou judgest.
Psalm 51:4
When we sin, when we disregard His+ plain Word to us, when we plunge headstrong into our own program, we hurt ourselves, yes.
But worse, we hurt the great heart of Our Heavenly FATHER and Our LORD JESUS CHRIST.
The Word was written for our good. When we do those things that HE+ wants us to do, those things plainly written and openly printed for all the world to see, then HE+ blesses us with all those things that money cannot buy.
HE+ loves us dearly. It is His+ Will that we be happy and satisfied. Our Precious Savior knows what will bring our greatest happiness. HE+ exhorts and warns us over and over again against grabbing for happiness and security our way. HE+ knows what will cause sorrow down the road for us. HE+ also knows what will produce good fruit, down the road.
HE+ aches with the heart of a good parent after a child who simply will not take heed, will not listen, will not receive correction. That parent doesn’t want the fruit for himself, but rather for the happiness and well-being of his child. When we don’t listen to GOD, we sin against His+ great heart of love for us.
The LORD JESUS CHRIST is indeed our Savior…
if we will let HIM+ save us from ourselves.
Against thee, thee only, have I sinned,
and done this evil in thy sight:
that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest,
and be clear when thou judgest.
Psalm 51:4
HE+ loves us dearly. It is His+ Will that we be happy and satisfied. Our Precious Savior knows what will bring our greatest happiness. HE+ exhorts and warns us over and over again against grabbing for happiness and security our way. HE+ knows what will cause sorrow down the road for us. HE+ also knows what will produce good fruit, down the road.
HE+ aches with the heart of a good parent after a child who simply will not take heed, will not listen, will not receive correction. That parent doesn’t want the fruit for himself, but rather for the happiness and well-being of his child. When we don’t listen to GOD, we sin against His+ great heart of love for us.
The LORD JESUS CHRIST is indeed our Savior…
if we will let HIM+ save us from ourselves.
Against thee, thee only, have I sinned,
and done this evil in thy sight:
that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest,
and be clear when thou judgest.
Psalm 51:4
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