The Fruitful Word

23 hrs

Proverbs 28:5

Sinful men do not understand what is right and fair, but those who look to the Lord understand all things. [New Life Version]

Justice makes no sense to the evilminded; those who seek God know it inside and out. [The Message]

Criminals don't know what justice means, but all who respect the LORD understand it completely. [Contemporary English Version]

Evil people do not know what justice is, but those who worship the Lord understand it well. [Good News Translation]
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wicked: ra 7451 (Hebrew) godless, evil conduct, hurtful speech, harmful intent, malignant character, and the painful results of such irrational and self-destructive actions through moral corruption leading to destructive calamity.

understand: bin 995 (Hebrew) discern, perceive, consider, know, distinguish; mental perception, moral discrimination, practical skill, and spiritual insight with context determining the focus to be cognitive, judicial, or relational. Sin is framed chiefly as a failure of discernment, not mere ignorance, and leaders' fortunes rise or fall with their capacity for sound discernment granted by God since one cannot possess understanding without moral awe of the Lord.

justice: mishpat 4941 (Hebrew) judgment, ordinance, law, decision, judicial verdict; the Lord's own just character and the standards by which human society is to be ordered. A nation's welfare depends on keeping these since obedience in acting justly, loving mercy, and walking humbly with God brings blessings, while violation such as oppressing the poor, perverting courts, or abusing orphans and widows invites a curse to political or religious leaders who turn justice upside down.

seek: baqash 1245 (Hebrew) beg, request, desire, beseech, procure, strive after, intentional searching; In this case, actively seeking the Lord with diligent heart-level pursuit, demonstrating the importance for spiritual vitality, national destiny, and eschatological hope. National security is consistently tied to the intention of leaders to seek the Lord since repentance and faith are never divorced from earnest pursuit.

#proverbs, #justice, #understand, #criminals, #worship,

3 d

Let God attend to your needs.

As you go about your day, as you give Him those moments of free time by saying, "Thank You," and acknowledging that He is, and that He is there with you, as events transpire, let God attend to your needs at the moment.

He loves you, and has already given His Son, Jesus, for you; why should He hold back anything of lesser value from you?

If you are worried about something, tell God about it -- He already knows of it and has an answer for it. If you are upset about something, talk to God about it -- He understands and will not be critical; after all, He loved you before you ever knew Him.

If you are feeling fearful about something or for someone, take it to God. His love will counteract the fear you feel and give you a peace and an assurance that has no way of being explained by circumstances.

By talking to God, you are not telling Him something He doesn't know. You usually end up hearing yourself say something you didn't realize and you gain a new perspective on the issue.

By vocalizing any concern or worry or fear or upset you feel, you begin to find a difference between what runs through your mind, and what comes out of your mouth.

Some things solve themselves when you put them into words, other issues can be seen more clearly when they are expressed in the light of reality.

God is always there to hear, to listen, even when others are not available. He does not get His feelings hurt by anything you say, and He never misunderstands what you are telling Him.

The peace that comes from being able to fully express yourself without interruption, without misunderstanding, without criticism is deep and settling.

God has what you need -- all you need to do is talk to Him about it. He loves you and will not withhold anything good from you.

He has answers when you are puzzled. He has strength when you are worn out. He has rest when you cannot sleep. He has peace when you are in turmoil. He has a solid place to stand when things around are shaky.

Just as a father is happy when his child comes to him to fix a problem rather than going to a stranger, so God is pleased when we turn to Him as our source for what we need.

Self-improvement is not what God offers. He is looking to help you achieve soul-improvement.

At salvation, the seed of an eternal new life was planted in your heart and you were made a new being on the inside.

Still the same body, still the same surroundings, but internally, where the eternal lives, God changed you and put new desires and new hungers inside.

That is what stirs you up, brings up questions, causes you to see things in a new way, and at times puts you in conflict with your old ways.

God is doing a work from the inside out, and He understands the changes you are going through. Turn to Him, talk to Him and let Him attend to your needs.

All things will come to pass in God's timing -- all you have to do is walk with Him a day at a time. Let Him bury the past, and let Him prepare the future. He gives you the strength and wisdom needed for today.

Remember, as you communicate with God, sometimes with words, sometimes about things there are simply not words for, He understands.

His Spirit is given to us to comfort us, minister to us, flow through us, and in doing so, He will sweep away the old things that block the joy, the laughter, the appreciation of nature's beauty and the simple pleasures of life.

God created the world, and He said, "It is good." It is true that there is sin in the world, there is evil in the world, but they only coat parts of it -- they did not make it.

God will restore the world, just as He has redeemed you. Work with Him, and walk with Him today, and let His changes show through you to others.

Let us honor God for the gifts He has given us by letting others see the changes that only God could have made in our lives.

Psalm 3:3 But You are a shield around me, O Lord; You bestow glory on me and lift up my head.

Loving Lord, each day You transform us to resemble Jesus a little more, in what we say and what we do.
You are building a family resemblance that others can see when they look at us.
We trust You, Father, to do us no harm but to help us in what we need to do.
Be praised, Lord, by us and by those around us who see Your work, Your handicraft, in our lives.
Thank You for attending to us, God, for meeting our needs in ways that are everlasting.
Material things cannot support us, Lord, for they will break and fall apart, but Your love is always there and Your Spirit is never out of reach when we turn to You.
Thank You for Your love!

4 d

Proverbs 29:2

Show me a righteous ruler and I will show you a happy people. Show me a wicked ruler and I will show you a miserable people. [Good News Translation]

When justice rules a nation, everyone is glad; when injustice rules, everyone groans. [Contemporary English Version]

When those who are right with God rule, the people are glad, but when a sinful man rules, the people have sorrow. [New Life Version]

When just leaders are in power, the citizens celebrate; but when evil people gain control, their joys become moans. [The Voice]
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flourish: rabah 7235 (Hebrew) increase, multiply, grow, become many; describes the growth or enlargement of people, in this case the righteous, those who value God's statutes and obey His ordinances by caring for those in their community, becoming the majority of the influencers and leadership of their families, communities, regions, and nation.

righteous: tsaddiyq 6662 (Hebrew) lawful, blameless, innocent; a judge with right standing before God & right conduct toward people, joining inner integrity with outward justice, will bring life, stability, and honor. A ruler must demonstrate faith, integrity, generosity, truthful speech, & courage. Ritual without righteousness is denounced since true piety integrates ethics & devotion, and is shown in economics, compassion, speech, and governance.

rejoice: samach 8055 (Hebrew) cheer up, be glad, be joyful, brighten up; God-centered gladness expressed freely, and linked to moral choices.

rule: mashal 4910 (Hebrew) have dominion, power, reign, govern; authority exercised through rule or dominion, the act of governing. Authority can become oppressive, but legitimate government is measured by righteousness and the justice of God, with true leadership tied to mastery of one's own spirit in Christ-like self-sacrifice.

wicked: rasha` 7563 (Hebrew) guilty, ungodly, evil, condemned, criminal; morally wrong, actively hostile to God's standards, including religious hypocrisy, national corruption, and individual accountability for the rebellion and oppression seen in the neglect of the needy, deceitful speech, unjust gain, and prideful self-reliance.

groan: anach 584 (Hebrew) to sigh, mourn, grieve, lament; audible expressions of distress rising from deep, often prolonged suffering and pain, whether physical, emotional, or spiritual, coming from a heart overwhelmed by circumstances larger than itself yet still sensitive to the presence and purpose of God. It may be a spontaneous, involuntary exhalation marking the weight of oppression, a public lament that testifies to societal disorder or breakdown, or an intimate, wordless prayer when articulation fails, each of which penetrates heaven and moves God to remember and act against rulers and legislators whose policies produce social groaning.

#proverbs, #justice, #celebrate, #wicked, #sorrow,

6 d

Proverbs 29:1

He who is often reproved, yet stiffens his neck, will suddenly be broken beyond healing. [English Standard Version]

If you keep being stubborn after many warnings, you will suddenly discover you have gone too far. [Contemporary English Version]

A person often rebuked who becomes obstinate will suddenly be broken beyond remedy. [New American Standard Bible]

The man that with a stiff neck despiseth him that reproveth him, shall suddenly be destroyed: and health shall not follow him. [Douay-Rheims Bible]

If you get more stubborn every time you are corrected, one day you will be crushed and never recover. [Good News Translation]
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rebuke: towkechah 8433 (Hebrew) reproof, correction, chasten; verbal confrontation that both exposes wrong and appeals for change. Scripture treats it as a gracious gift rather than a mere censure since it aims at restoration, and considers it indispensable to the fear of the Lord and the pursuit of wisdom, both indicting and extending mercy. One who offers rebuke must be holy enough to confront sin, yet loving enough to restore in grace.

stubborn: qashah 7185 (Hebrew) to be hard, severe, difficult, fierce, stiff-necked; OT verses touch on the social realm of harsh speech or rule, and the spiritual realm of hardened hearts against God, tracing a theology of resistance to the Lord, the consequences of oppressive leadership and the call to repentance and softness of heart. When a person's heart is hardened, Scripture never portrays it as mechanical coercion; rather, the Lord judicially confirms existing rebellion to demonstrate His strength and power over the world systems, and His mercy, grace, and love to any who turn in trusting humility and repentance to Him. Such verses warn leaders that harshness alienates subjects and invites divine censure, while teaching His people dependence on Him.

destroy: shabar 7665 (Hebrew) broken, shattered, crushed, smashed; the fracturing of something formerly whole -- objects, bodies, nations, covenants, or hearts--from pottery to pride, offering connections to judgment, repentance, and deliverance. Scripture confirms that when facing divine judgment, political power is no match for the God Who breaks, while mercy is shown to inward humility and shattered pride becomes soil for renewal and divine acceptance, restoring wholeness through Christ's brokenness on the cross.

#proverbs, #reproof, #stubborn, #broken, #crushed,

1 w

Luke 6:45

Good people have good things saved in their hearts. That’s why they say good things. But those who are evil have hearts full of evil, and that’s why they say things that are evil. What people say with their mouths comes from what fills their hearts. [Easy-to-Read Version]

… A good man keeps good things in his mind. In his life, he brings those good things out from there. But a bad man keeps bad things in his mind. He brings those bad thoughts out from there. When a person speaks, his words show what is really in his mind.’ [ EasyEnglish Bible]
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good: agathos 18 (Greek) beneficial, virtuous, generous, kind; what originates from God and is empowered by Him through faith, promoting His purposes, whether ethical, practical, relational, or eschatological. Man's regenerated heart will demonstrate integrity, transparency, and ethical consistency producing active benevolence, not for gaining salvation, but from receiving salvation.

bad: ponéros 4190 (Greek) wicked, hurtful, evil, malicious, lewd, diseased, facinorous; portrays what is morally corrupt, injurious, and actively hostile toward God's design, describing a person, a generation, a thought, a deed, a spiritual power, or even a climactic "day" of intensified opposition, always the settled antithesis of divine goodness.

mouth: stoma 4750 (Greek) lips, speech, language, testimony, edge (of a weapon); the gateway for words that disclose the inner man, the diagnostic window to the soul, validating or refuting professed faith. As blessing and cursing from the same mouth is a moral contradiction, spiritual maturity demands bridled speech, both avoiding evil words and speaking proactive edification, glorifying God.

heart: kardia 2588 (Greek) mind, spirit, thoughts, intellect, emotion, feelings, will; the desire-decisions that establish who we really are. Joy, sorrow, courage, fear all arise in the heart, and reasoning, remembering, and perceiving are heart-functions. The term is never used in Scriptures for our physical blood-pump, rather the totality of inner life.

bring forth: propheró 4393 (Greek) to offer, to present; a movement from within to without, carrying forward with high energy that which is stored inwardly, the hidden contents of the heart, into open view for production and disclosure, distinguishing saving faith from mere assent. Faithful proclamation must move beyond behavioral correction to heart-level confrontation, trusting the Spirit to create the inward change that alone can produce lasting fruit.

overflow: perisseuma 4051 (Greek) abundance, surplus, excess, superfluity; more than anticipated, a reality that is more than sufficient--whether food, resources, or the contents of the heart--and therefore capable of spilling over to either bless or harm. Speech is the natural spillover of internal realities, exposing the illusion that words can be detached from character. The abundance from God is intended to circulate, not stagnate.

#luke, #mind, #thoughts, #good, #evil,