Make a tree good and its fruit will be good, or make a tree bad and its fruit will be bad; for a tree is known by its fruit. You brood of vipers, how can you who are evil say anything good? For out of the overflow of the heart, the mouth speaks. The good man brings good things out of his good store of treasure, and the evil man brings evil things out of his evil store of treasure.
Matthew 12:33-35
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What you store up
'Brood of vipers' is a harsh phrase. John the Baptist had already used it for people who acted pious but would not change. Jesus aims it at those who called the good he did devilish. You know a tree by its fruit, he said. You can speak fine words for a while, but a tree can't keep up a pretence for long.
That 'store' is really a treasury. Whatever you put in there day after day will come out again, especially when you are tired or under pressure. So if you want to speak differently, you start with what you store up in your heart.
Question for today
What am I storing up in my heart this week?
Prayer
Lord, make my heart good, and the fruit will follow. Fill me with what is true and pure. Amen.
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