You have heard the scripture saying the small foxes destroy the vine I bet. But what happens when you are the fox?
At the close of Sunday’s service, my pastor stated your negative thoughts and words devour the Word of God in your life. The words struck a chord in me. We often think of outside forces coming to take away the effectiveness of God’s Word in our lives. Although far too often, the real enemy lies within.
Jesus declared that he was the vine and we are the branches and that if we abide in Him we would bear much fruit. Perhaps the lack of fruitfulness we see has less to do with external forces. And more to do with the inner us. If we are taking in the Word but consistently speaking and thinking words that contradict it, we have made it of none effect in our individual lives.
Are you destroying the vine in your life?
photo credit: Eric Bégin via photo pin cc
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You’re right. Sometimes we tear our lives apart in our thought life and the words we confess over ourselves. God’s people definitely perish for lack of knowledge.
Bless you!
Beth
So true Beth. Much of defeat comes for our thoughts.
I suppose I am. But I still don’t know how to get to where I want to be; all avenues seem to be closed. Guess I’ll just sit still and wait for an opening.
Elizabeth, trust me I can certainly relate to not being sure just what to do. I used to (and sometimes even now) get myself so worked up about hearing/knowing that I failed to realize that as God’s child, He has just as much interest in me knowing what to do as I do. And He has a way of ensuring that able to hear Him. And the hearing doesn’t always come in the form of some audible voice. Sometimes it’s just a peace about a certain decision. Praying for you.
Great post Wanda; how many times I am guilty of negative thoughts! It can be so destructive and certainly isn’t worthy of Him!
Thanks for this inspiration this morning…
Denise
Me too Denise. I caught myself in the act just a few minutes ago and had to make a conscious decision to think and speak differently.
Ouch! Hadn’t thought about my words stealing the effectiveness of God’s Word. Thank you for the insight.
You’re quite welcome Pam. I hadn’t really either but it makes sense. Just as Jesus wasn’t able to heal many in his home town because of their disbelief. His power hadn’t diminish but it’s effectiveness in those people lives were hindered.
Sometimes I feel like I’m working at it.
If you’re like me Arlee, some days you do better than others.
Words are seeds, and the garden is our heart, if we speak words of life, then the tree of life would produce good fruits, however if we speak words of death they grow like ivy that will choke our fruitfulness.
The key to progress in the kingdom of God is in understanding the principle of planting seed (God’s word) and the harvest.
“26 And He said, “The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground, 27 and should sleep by night and rise by day, and the seed should sprout and grow, he himself does not know how. 28 For the earth yields crops by itself: first the blade, then the head, after that the full grain in the head. 29 But when the grain ripens, immediately he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come.” Mark 4:26-29
So true Moyo. We eat the fruit of our words and what we says determines what fruit we have according to Proverbs 18:21.