Fruit Inspection

"Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer."  (Psalm 19:14)

Words are very powerful; they can build one up, they can tear one down; they can produce life, they can deal a deadly blow; they can edify, exhort, glorify, and praise.

The Psalmist wants to use the standard of the Word, the Law, the Testament, the Statutes of God as a standard by which his words are judged. But he takes it a step further, a place where we dread to go . . . he wants to allow God to judge the "meditation of [his] heart"!

Most Christians are willing to submit heir "words" to the leadership of the Holy Spirit; however, very few are dare to venture past that to the point where they will allow the Lord to judge the meditations of their heart. When your meditations become implanted within the heart's womb, they bear fruit.

Take a few moments and examine the "fruit" implanted in your heart. Is it sweet or is it bitter? Sweet fruit cannot grow in a bitter environment. In fact, a bitter heart corrupts and eventually kills the fruit it is producing.

Recently I read a quote worth passing along: "Bitterness is the poison that we drink thinking we are killing the other person." In other words, the bitterness produced in our hearts does nothing to the one toward whom we are bitter, but it works as a poison to the one who is bitter. Allowing bitterness to grow in us is spiritual suicide and many times it affects our physical health leading to illness and even premature death.

What is hiding in your heart? Are you pleased to open the door of your heart and let the Lord in? Will your meditations be found acceptable in the sight of God?

Oh Lord, you know my heart and You see the meditations of my heart. May they ever be found pleasing in Your sight. Reveal to me any roots of bitterness in my heart and help me, through the power of the Holy Spirit, to pluck those roots out before they grow in strength and corrupt the fruit growing in my heart. If the meditations of my heart are not pleasing to You, if the words of my mouth are displeasing, Lord, show me, forgive me, help me, cleanse me, and purify me so that I may speak of and think on those things which bring life, build up, edify, exhort, glorify and praise. Oh Lord, cleanse me and make my heart right before You for You are my heart's desire . . . there is NONE like You! Amen!

"If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." (1 John 1:9)

© 2008 Jan Ross
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