Produce!

Produce!

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. Luke 6:45 KJV

It has to be established how a man becomes good. Sin had attacked our foundations and given us a nature that was not God's perfect plan from the start, but God had his plans of restoration and hope lined up through the 'seed' of the woman. It then means that for a man to become good, the seed of the woman has to be planted in him. It is that seed that is nurtured that makes a man good. 

As the seed of the woman, who is Jesus, lives in a man, his life produces fruit that aligns with the quality of the seed inside him. Sin becomes less attractive and a desire to please God becomes the main attraction. To call a man good is to understand the quality of the seed his life has received, is being watered and is growing inside him. You can never produce fruit that goes against the nature of the seed implanted in you and which you have nurtured.

The opposite is equally true. To call a man evil is to understand the quality of the seed he has also received and has nourished to maturity. You then ask: who plants the seed? Both God and the devil are long-term investors, who have an eye on eternity. Both are interested in souls who will receive what they have on offer. You are the one with the power to determine what kind of seed is sown into your life. As you read books, go on the internet, relate with friends and live your daily life, seeds are being offered and if you open up the ground of your heart, then the seed will be planted. The power to resist any kind of seed that you know will not bear good fruit is in your hand. 

That is the essence of the last part of today's extract: the mouth speaks of the things that the heart has received and nourished over time. It doesn't just happen overnight; it is the product of time spent investing, watering and looking after the seed. What comes out is a function of what had gone in before. If you want the end to look right, now is the time to invest in the right seed. You cannot blame God for the quality of your fruit, if you never did take time to watch the quality of the seed planted in your heart. 

And the heart is the home of your treasures. In there lies the most precious thoughts and motives, as well as the most devious and devilish motives. Whatever you feed grows and whatever you starve wanes and eventually dies. The power to feed is in your hand; use it wisely. God wants to come in and take over, plant His Word in you and lead you down the path that leads to His life, but He cannot go against the exercise of your own freewill. Let God have his way; there are no regrets for a life that God has led and blessed. His time of favour is here.