LONGSHOT

20MAR24

33 “Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree bad and its fruit bad, for the tree is known by its fruit. 34 You brood of vipers! How can you speak good, when you are evil? For out of abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. 35 The good person out of his good treasure brings forth good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure brings forth evil. 36 I tell you, on the day of judgement people will give account of every careless word they speak, 37 for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.” Matthew 12:33-37 (ESV)

Each day we bear fruit, whether good or bad, and we are known to others by the fruit we bear. Our actions and the words we speak should be a reflection of the Jesus we know.

How are you known by others?

Do the fruits that you bear indicate you are of the world or of Jesus?

If we are filled with good treasure, than our actions and the fruit we bear should reflect that. It says at the end of this passage that by our words we will either be justified or condemned. In Matthew 6:33 Jesus says, “seek first the Kingdom of God”. In everything we do, we should be seeking first the Kingdom of God, and this includes the way in which we speak and interact with others.

Are we seeking first the Kingdom of God by the way we control our tongue, or do we echo the way in which the world speaks?

Prayer: Dear Lord, give me the strength to have control of my tongue so that how I speak would glorify you. Lord, help me to live every single day intentionally, so that my outward actions will be a representation of my internal love for Jesus. In Jesus name I pray, Amen.