"A Tree Known by its Fruit" and "The Two Foundations"
1. A word or phrase that attracts me: "A good person out of the store of goodness in his heart produces good" (vs. 45a); "who dug deeply" (vs. 48); and, "does not act" (vs. 49).
2. What I see or hear the Lord is showing or telling me: Come to Me, listen to My Words, and act on them.
"A good person out of the store of goodness in his heart produces good." The only way I can truly be a good person is to come to Jesus, listen to His Words, and act on them. The Lord is showing me how very important it is for me to spend time with Him in prayer and reading His Holy Word every day. I need to nurture my relationship with Jesus and Mary. I need to abide in God's Word. "Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly, as in all wisdom you teach and admonish one another, singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God." Colossians 3:16
"...who dug deeply." These words jumped out at me. All I can see, with the eyes of my heart, is Jesus standing at the very bottom of my soul, digging, tilling the soil, breaking up the hardness in my heart, reaching down into my memories, into my wounds, and filling in my brokenness with the love and healing of His Precious Blood, and the cleansing purity of His Holy Spirit, the Water of Life.
"...does not act." The Lord is telling me to come to Him, listen to His Words, and act on them. This is not easy, the acting part, when I would rather stay hiding in my shell. It's easy to act when I know it's God's will, and I'm filled with His Love, His Joy, and His Strength to do it. It's hard to act when my heart is not in the right place, and I am in need of forgiveness and healing. My actions need to be grounded and rooted in God's love, and in His Holy Word.
Jesus told Saint Faustina, "Give away everything at the first sign of a demand, even if they were the most necessary things. Do not ask for anything without consulting Me. Allow them to take away even what is due you - respect, your good name - let your spirit rise above all that. And so, set free from everything, rest close to My Heart, not allowing your peace to be disturbed by anything. My pupil, consider the words which I have spoken to you." (Diary, 1685)
Jesus told Saint Faustina not to ask for anything without consulting Him. I love Saint Faustina's intimate relationship with Jesus! Our Lord was asking her not to act before praying to Him first. The Lord is showing me that I can trust Him to guide me in prayer to know how to act according to His Will, His Word, and His Love!
3. What the Lord is asking me to be or do today, this week, or forever! - "I'm gonna sing when the Spirit says sing!...I'm gonna pray when the Spirit says pray!...I'm gonna love when the Spirit says love!...I'm gonna shout when the Spirit says shout!...and be happy all the day long!"
Luke 6: A Tree Known by Its Fruit.
43 “A good tree does not bear rotten fruit, nor does a rotten tree bear good fruit.
44 For every tree is known by its own fruit. For people do not pick figs from thornbushes, nor do they gather grapes from brambles.
45 A good person out of the store of goodness in his heart produces good, but an evil person out of a store of evil produces evil; for from the fullness of the heart the mouth speaks.
The Two Foundations.
46 “Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ but not do what I command?
47 I will show you what someone is like who comes to me, listens to my words, and acts on them.
48 That one is like a person building a house, who dug deeply and laid the foundation on rock; when the flood came, the river burst against that house but could not shake it because it had been well built.
49 But the one who listens and does not act is like a person who built a house on the ground without a foundation. When the river burst against it, it collapsed at once and was completely destroyed.”
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