His Fruits!
God’s Word.
WHAT DID GOD SAY TO ME THIS MORNING
In obedience, the On Assignment By God Blog, now has an audio feature where you can listen to this blog!! Thank you for your prayers as I continue to be obedient and do what God says! Happy Listening!!
So don’t get tired of doing what is good. Don’t get discouraged and give up, for we will reap a harvest of blessing at the appropriate time. Galatians 6:9
This week has been one of those weeks where I have felt like I was pushing hard just to do the simple tasks. When you’re under the weather, it takes so much energy just to do the simple things. When your emotions are all over the place due to overthinking and burden carrying, you feel a heaviness. And even though I shouldn’t have been carrying any burdens, I was. But despite it all, God is still faithful. I got up on time this morning because I knew my delays over this week were affecting me. Feeling rushed every day with less energy is just not the way to operate. I sought the Lord for some much needed peace this morning. The kind that surpasses all understanding. The kind of peace that allows you to just throw your hands up and leave it ALL up to God.
I noticed this week that when I carry my own burdens or try to control things that are completely out of my control, I lose my peace, my joy, my patience, some of my faithfulness, my self-control, my kindness, my goodness, and my gentleness. Yes I lose my fruit! I felt myself losing some of my fruit this week, but the Word of the Lord says, don’t get discouraged and give up, so I definitely haven’t given up.
The Holy Spirit knew I needed the encouragement this morning, so He led me to Galatians for the Scriptural Surprise. Galatians 5:5 encouraged me:
But we who live by the Spirit eagerly wait to receive everything promised to us who are right with God through faith. Galatians 5:5 NLT
As I kept reading through this chapter, Paul was encouraging the church of Galatia. In verse 16 of chapter 5, he was advising them to live according to their new life in the Holy Spirit. Then they wouldn’t be doing what their sinful nature craves. That got me to thinking about new things and how at some point the newness wears off and you don’t treat the new thing like you did when you first got it. Are we like that? We became new creatures in Christ, but then over time, we started letting the old sinful nature come back or we started letting evil slide into thoughts undetected and next thing you know, you’re mad or fussing, and just not producing fruits of the Spirit.
The fruits of the Spirit are what I mentioned earlier that I felt like I was losing a bit this week. See when the Holy Spirit controls our lives (per Galatians 5:22-23), he will produce this kind of fruit in us: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control. So if there is no sign of these in your life, then that may mean that the Holy Spirit isn’t controlling your life and if the Holy Spirit isn’t controlling your life, then what spirit is?
I encourage you to read all of chapter 5 in Galatians because it really helped me to identify when the Holy Spirit is in control vs when evil is in control. Galatians 5:17-21 says these two forces (good and evil) are constantly fighting each other, and your choices are never free from this conflict. But when you are directed by the Holy Spirit, you are not longer subject to the law. When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, your lives will produce these evil results: sexual immorality, impure thoughts, eagerness for lustful pleasure, idolatry, participation in demonic activities, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, divisions, the feeling that everyone is wrong except those in your own little group, envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other kinds of sin. Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will NOT inherit the Kingdom of God.
Don’t be misled. Remember that you can’t ignore God and get away with it. You will always reap what you sow! Galatians 6:7 NLT
When I read all of that, I was encouraged to keep doing what is good. To keep living good. To keep being obedient. To keep letting the Holy Spirit control MY LIFE and not anything evil! I want all that God has for me. Plus I don’t want miss out on the Holy Spirit’s produce…His fruits!
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Check out your assignment questions for today. Take a moment to reflect and then answer the questions in your journal. Pray. Listen. Write. Obey.
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In closing, I want to dedicate this blog post to one of the most important people who planted seeds in me as a young college student. The one who took me under his wing and made sure that I never gave up; pushed myself beyond what I even knew I was capable of, and ushered me right out of my comfort zone into a big city newsroom for my first internship. My college journalism professor, mentor, and the one guy that set me on a course toward writing destiny, Mr. Eric Stringfellow. When I heard the news of his transition, I reflected on all that he poured into me, and I praised the Lord for using Him to encourage the gift that God had placed in me from the beginning, my gift of writing. I thank God for using Mr. Stringfellow. The impact he made in my life will never be forgotten, and I will continue to honor his legacy as a writer.
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Your Assignment For Today:
What did God say to YOU in your conversation with Him this morning?
Which one (or ones) of your fruit is not producing?
What will you do to put the Holy Spirit back in control of your life?
Today’s Scriptural Surprise is Proverbs, chapters 4-6. So much wisdom and instruction!!
SALVATION PRAYER
If you’re not a believer and have a desire to be, openly confess and declare with your mouth that Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead (Romans 10:9). When you pray that prayer out loud, you are saved. Get connected with a good, bible-based church in your community and start having a conversation through prayer with God every day. And let me be the first to welcome you to your new life with Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. YAAAAY!!!!! You made the best decision you could ever make! Feel free to email me at info@onassignmentbyGod.com and let me know about your newfound life or if you need prayer for anything.