BEARING LOVELY FRUIT

Proverbs 12:14 NIV From the fruit of their lips people are filled with good things, and the work of their hands brings them reward.

It’s the season of fruitfulness with blackberries, plums and apples on the local trees and bushes all for free, so we’ve been busy bees and now have a cupboard full of plum jam, blackberry jelly and apple and pear chutney! Lovely treats to come.😊

Our verse though is talking about the fruit of our lips and the things we are saying will produce a harvest one way or another. If our words are negative, complaining and grumbling we will draw more of the same things to ourselves and we really don’t want that! 

But if our words are positive, full of faith in our God, full of praise and thanks, prophesying good into our futures we will have the fruit of our lips, we will have the things we say.😊 Mark 11:24 NKJV …but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says. What a promise!

I’ve heard it said that where we are now is a result of words we have spoken in the past. In other words if our words have been doom and gloom, declaring things never work out for us, that things always go wrong, I’ve had this illness for ever, I always worry, and nothing good ever happens to me, then we will reap what we sow. Those kinds of words are not what God says about us!

Instead we can be declaring by faith that the path of the righteous gets brighter and brighter so our future is going to be bright. We can say that no weapon formed against us will prosper, that the Lord is watching over us to protect us so we have no need to worry. We can declare that everything we put our hand to is going to succeed, that we are anointed and empowered by the Holy Spirit to rise to whatever He calls us to do. That we are above the circumstances, not beneath them, that we have the joy of the Lord and His peace in our hearts so we will go out with a smile on our faces and bring joy to those we meet. All of that is in scripture and we will have the fruit of what we say! That inspires me to say the right thing! It’s called walking by faith, not by what we see and feel.😊

Next time you want to say something negative, zip it up because you don’t want to have a bad harvest!  

Let’s deliberately think of something to be thankful for, declare that God says Jesus came to give us an abundant life, full of health, all our needs met, and we believe and receive it by faith, and say it’s what our lives are going to be like.😊 

Proverbs 13:3 NIV Those who guard their lips preserve their lives, but those who speak rashly will come to ruin. 

Lord help us to guard our mouths, so we only bring forth lovely fruit. In Jesus name. Amen.

Photo by Tomas Sobek on Unsplash

GOD’S RECIPE FOR THE ABUNDANT LIFE

Proverbs 3:1-2 NKJV My son, do not forget my law, But let your heart keep my commands; For length of days and long life and peace they will add to you.

Long life and peace sounds like Spock on Star Trek saying, ‘Live long and prosper.’ I guess the author had been reading Proverbs 3 verses and had the idea from there!😊

They’re really simple instructions to follow though: Don’t forget God’s word, in other words keep His promises in our hearts and in the forefront of our minds, and do as His word says. As James 1:22 says, “Be a doer of the word and not a hearer only.”  It promises long life, and length of days. There is a difference. A long life in scripture means a full, satisfying life worth living, whereas length of days can mean the amount of time being extended.

Proverbs 3:3-4 goes on to say to make sure we’re kind and loyal and show people mercy. Then it says to write God’s words deep in our hearts, or you could say memorise them, and if we do that God promises we will find favour with God and men and have a good reputation.

The benefits go on and on, and as we read further in Proverbs 3 we find out how to let God guide us, how to have healthy bodies and strong bones and how to have more than enough! Proverbs 3:9-10 NLT Honour the Lord with your wealth and with the best part of everything you produce. Then he will fill your barns with grain, and your vats will overflow with good wine. 

Talk about being given good instructions for an abundant life, this is it! Long satisfying life, favour with God and men, a good reputation, God’s direction, how to have healthy bodies and strong bones and how to prosper financially! 

Why not have a read of Proverbs 3 again and let the Lord bless your heart as He reveals His method for an abundant life, and may we ask Him to help us follow His instructions.😊 Amen.