The fruit of thought...

Jeremiah 6:19
"Hear, O earth!
Behold, I will certainly bring calamity on this people—
The fruit of their thoughts,
Because they have not heeded My words
Nor My law, but rejected it."

Once a thought is seeded within the soil of the mind, it is nearly impossible to change the fruit of that seed. Pride grows into selfishness. Jealously grows into manipulation or deception. Anger grows into fits of range. Lust grows into pornography, adultery and fornication. The lies we accept distort our reality and taint our fruit with fear, hurt, cynicism and such.

Israel had seeded their minds with thoughts not from God, lies of the evil one. Consequently, the fruit of their lives became rebellion, idolatry and adultery. They failed to plant within them the Word of God and incurred the wrath of God; calamity and destruction.

However, if we choose the seed of our thoughts wisely and plant within our minds the Word of God, meditating on it and watering it with worship and prayer, we will produce a harvest that honors God and nourishes us to obedience and blessing.
This idea reminds me of the words of Peter in 2 Peter 1:2-8:

"Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, 3 as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, 4 by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.
5 But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, 6 to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, 7 to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love. 8 For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ."

It is the knowledge of God; His character, His way, His will, that produces a fruitful life.

So what have I planted within my mind lately? Have I filled my thoughts with things of this world: entertainment, music, sports, cultural facts and news? Have I accepted any lies of the evil one or allowed myself to water fleshly emotions into self-righteousness and pride? If so, I must make a habit to daily weed out my mind and scatter broadly the Word and Truth of God. I must plant in my mind the Holy Scriptures which are able to save my soul. I must water it daily with prayer and worship. I must spend time daily in the Son, allowing His light to illuminate His Word and my mind.

As James 1:21-22 says, "Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness,
and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.
But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves."

Father, make me a man of Your Word. Help me to weed out the seeds of my flesh and the lies of the evil one. Plant within me Your Holy Word and let it grow into fruit that blesses You, Nourished others and defines my life as wholly Yours. Amen.