Daily Readings and Thought for April 4th. HE “WILL BE FILLED WITH THE FRUIT OF HIS WAYS”

We know what “fruit” is – it is a key word in the above phrase which caught our eye in our Proverbs reading today, because it occurs twice – in contrasting phrases.  It’s in Ch. 14 v.14, “The backslider in heart will be filled with the fruit of his ways, and a good man will be filled with the fruit of his ways.”

    The proverb emphasises the point Paul makes in Galatians today, “Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows that will he reap.  The one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life.” [Ch.6 v.7,8]  The way – or aim – in life that we choose to develop our character will in the end produce a certain “fruit.”

We live in a world where so many are living for the day, “the fleeting pleasures of sin.”  Those who know their Bibles know that that last phrase occurs in Hebrews 11 v.25 to describe the situation facing Moses as he grew up seeming to be the son of Pharaoh’s daughter – what a temptation to take full advantage of that privileged position!  But what would be the resulting “fruit?” Moses looked ahead; he is an example to us, especially to those whose present situation in life with its “fleeting pleasures” seems to be appealing.

The problem is that the outcome of the seeds we sow are usually not immediately obvious, the “fruit” takes time to develop.  Proverbs contains a “forest” of spiritual thoughts to help us to see the “fruit” that will result from our pathway in life.   We should read them with the aim of picking out those that are appropriate to our personal situation.  It is very helpful to print them out in large letters and put them in a prominent place which will constantly catch our eyes. 

Solomon quite often uses the phrase, “the fear (that is, the awe) of the LORD”    This is an “awe” created by his consciousness of God – and he seems to lose it in his old age.  He uses it twice in today’s chapter.  “In the fear of the LORD one has strong confidence” and “The fear of the LORD is a fountain of life that one may turn away from the snares of death” [v.26,27]  Let us all fully consider the “fruit” that the way we live our lives will produce..