Luke 6:43-45 – “For there is no good tree which produces bad fruit, nor, on the other hand, a bad tree which produces good fruit. 44 For each tree is known by its own fruit. For men do not gather figs from thorns, nor do they pick grapes from a briar bush. 45 The good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth what is good; and the evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth what is evil; for his mouth speaks from that which fills his heart.”
As I read, prayed, and pondered the Word of God today, two passages of Scripture challenged me. They may seem unrelated, but nothing in Scripture is lacking connection. The theme of God’s purpose is woven into the progression of the Word.
Luke 6:43-45. Jesus spoke of trees and fruit, which are lives and manifestations. Then, in the latter part of verse 45, He said, “For from the overflow of the heart his mouth speaks.” The heart lets you know by its flow.
Luke 8:25: They were in the boat, Jesus was sleeping, and a storm came. Fear overcame them, panic set in, and in one place they said, “Don’t You care that we are perishing?” Here, the rendering is, “We are perishing!” Jesus rebuked (strong word – epitimao, to demand with great authority) the wind and waves. They stopped immediately! Then He asked, “Where is your faith?” That was not a question of location or even absence, but object.
The question was, “What have you placed your faith in or on?” Focus and confidence! Is it the boat (system)? Is it your ability to navigate troubled waters? Is it the power of the winds and waves? What we focus on controls our thoughts and shapes our faith.
To their credit, they came to Jesus. They came empty. They came hopeless and helpless. They came with no solution. Sadly, sometimes we come to Him, but still have a solution in our hearts that we want Him to complete. He will not!
In Luke 8:36-37, the people overcome by fear asked Jesus to leave. Their fear separated them from the benefit of His presence. The fear in the boat snapped their faith. When we realize we cannot, we either focus on God and His promises or fear! Our choice shapes our destiny.
If Jesus is our example and has given (delegated) His authority to us over evil, we either believe it or fear. That was Jesus’ instruction to Jairus: “Ignore circumstances and trust God’s promises.” What we focus on will be revealed by the overflow of our hearts. The overflow lets us know! What is your overflow?
LORD, help us to have the overflow of our hearts filled with your presence and peace!
