Fruit of the Heart

When the ground soaks up the falling rain and bears a good crop for the farmer, it has God’s blessing. But if a field bears thorns and thistles, it is useless. The farmer will soon condemn that field and burn it.
Hebrews 6: 7-8

Each time I come across this passage I am often left asking a few questions of my heart. If I am a follower of Christ, if I have been enlighten by His truth does my life show it? If I have experienced and tasted the goodness of God do others see His goodness in and through me? Does the ground of my heart soak up His truth? Do I allow His word to penetrate all of my life so that a good fruit can bear forth?

As I sit here asking myself these questions once again I can't help but think now is a good time to really reflect on the state of my heart before God. After all, for the most part, life has stilled. We have no place we must run off too. We have been "forced" to stillness. So, honestly, what better time to ask God to show us where we are lacking the fruit of the Spirit? What better time than now to ask God to show us the thorns and thistles of our hearts?

So are you willing to join me? Can we go before the Lord and honestly ask ourselves these questions?  Does our life produce the fruits listed in Galatians 5:22-23 or are there more thorns and thistles than we care to admit?

We all will have thorns growing from time to time but there should not be field of them. Why not sit before the Lord today and ask Him what kind of “fruit” your life is truly producing. If you are walking in the Spirit of God then you life and your fruit will show it. Let's journey together and pray for one another as we allow God to create in our hearts a willingness to allow His fruit to grow.

A prayer: Oh Father how we desire a heart that so pliable and ready to sit and soak up your Words of truth! Show us those areas that the ground of our heart might be hard. Help us to give you access to all of our heart, all of our weakness, sins, and even our strengths so that we can place them at Your feet to do with them as you will. Father show us the areas of my lives that are producing thorns and thistles instead of the fruit of Your word. And show us those places in our life where we are reaping Your fruit so that we might thank and praise Your name! May our life reap love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. (Gal 5:22-23) Father we know that apart from you we know we will produce just the opposite of these, so Father once again we can lay our lives down at your feet. That we would surrender all that we are…help us to surrender it all into Your hands. Amen