Devotional Journal: Reflection on Luke 6:43-45
Ever received bad advice? Some grand master plan that someone you confounded in gave to you? You thought “Surely this cannot fail!”. The plan not only failed but achieved the total opposite of what you were aiming for.
Sometimes it’s not so easy to discern the good from the bad. Some advice is not black or white. During situations like this what shall we do? Jesus speaking to His disciples touched on this with a parable (Luke 6:43-45). “Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.” Our hearts are central to everything we say and do. No matter how “good” the advice may seem we need to always go back to the person’s character.
No one is perfect, but everyone is moving in one direction or another. Towards God or apart from God. Seeking God desires or our own. A person with a heart touched by God will try to steer you in the right direction even if the advice is hard to follow. On the other hand, someone who cares not of what God thinks can inform you with advice that seems right but lead you further astray.
We all have an abundance of words, thoughts, and actions waiting to flow out of us. Sometimes we advise without giving thought to what has been said. Other times we do without regards to how this will affect someone. May we produce good fruit that others can glean from and be blessed with discernment to steer away from rotten fruit.
43 “For no good tree bears bad fruit, nor again does a bad tree bear good fruit, 44 for each tree is known by its own fruit. For figs are not gathered from thornbushes, nor are grapes picked from a bramble bush. 45 The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks. -Luke 6:43-45
The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. 2025. Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.