James 3:11-12 Doth a fountain send forth at the same place sweet water and bitter?  Can a fig tree, my brethren, bear olive berries?  Either a vine, figs? So can no fountain both yield salt water and fresh.

 

You are who you are at the very core of your inner man.  You can do many things to strengthen your inner core or you can do nothing and weaken it.  Every fruit in life has a core.  From this core comes the fruit others are refreshed by.  If you take a lemon; cut off the peel on the top and bottom; laid it on the ground; then slowly step on it with your boot and steadily increase the pressure; eventually, the top and bottom will blow out.  Outside pressure or force when strong enough will eventually blow out the top and bottom.  Juice, seeds and pulp will blow out under the pressure.  But what comes out will not be apple, orange, blackberry or pear juice.  It will be lemon juice.  Out of its core will always come exactly what it is.

We are the same way.  When tragic events squash us like a heavy weight what eventually comes out of us is what’s in our inner man.  Love, kindness, compassion, longsuffering, faith and hope.  You can’t help it.  This is your core; who you really are.  This is what others around you are refreshed by.  This is Christ in you, the “hope of glory”, and giver of Life.  I’m so proud of you.
What a testimony you are.

 

*Please begin with “Devotion 1”.  They are progressive.

Author Profile

Lee Gilliam
Lee Gilliam
Lee is the co-founding designer of Overcoming Grief and author of 2 books and numerous articles. He has been in the ministry for over 40 years. He has traveled to over 80 countries and every state in the USA. His ministerial work involves both teaching and business. He is a mentor to pastors and business leaders alike. He is currently working on his upcoming international conference schedule and we will post it when it's ready. We hope you can attend one that will be close to you!! Please contact me at: leeg@overcominggrief.org