Daily Devotional for Monday, February 3

The Works of the Flesh

"Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like;' Galatians 5:19-21.

Several years ago, my family and I went shopping at one of the big home improvement box stores. Some storms had come through and damaged several fruit and vegetable plants on sale in the garden center. Because of the damage, the store had deeply discounted the plants, so we bought what we thought was a yellow squash plant. The identifying tag had apparently been lost in the storm, so we asked a store employee to confirm what we were buying. He told us he was pretty sure it was indeed a squash plant. Honestly, the small leaves and small flowers looked like thebeginnings of asquash plant to us as well. We brought the plant home, planted, watered and nurtured it, and eagerly anticipated a bountiful harvest of yellow squash.

After watching it for weeks produce a winding vine but no fruit, one day it finally started budding. We were so excited to see some squash. Instead, we got one single mystery vegetable. To this day, I still cannot tell you what it was. I can tell you this with absolute certainty, it was not a yellow squash plant.

Paul reminded the Galatians that their actions would prove their heart. Jesus told us as much, "Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; buta corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit" (Matthew 7:17, 18).

JUST A THOUGHT

You are the only Bible some people will ever read. Are you producing good fruit for God?

Chris Floyd