The Fruits Of The Spirit: A Devotional Journal

By S. Martens

Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the ungodly, or stand in the way of sinners, or sit in the seat of the scornful...he will be like a tree planted by the rivers of water that brings forth fruit in its season; its leaf also will not wither and everything that he does will succeed. ""Psalm 1:1 and 3 (ONMB) We were made to be one with our Creator, but often we wonder, "How can this actually happen?" We may sit in the pew and hear the words, we may make our charitable donations or join a particular denomination. This book is about more than those things. It is about examining ourselves (1 Corinthians 11:28) and asking the hard questions about our own growth in the very areas that will show whether or not we are replicating Jesus in our lives. The scripture verses are taken from The One New Man Bible and The Amplified Bible because the translators of these versions have taken great care to include the best possible meanings of the original text. But in working through this journal, also read the verses in the version that you understand and love. Allow the scripture to open itself up to your heart and mind. You will find yourself growing worthy fruit and you will also feel the pruning that will surely happen. May you have a most abundant harvest!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Christian Faith Publishing, Inc.
• Release date: Feb 4, 2020
• ISBN: 9781098007171

Book preview

January 1

But the fruit of the Spirit is love joy peace, patience kindness goodness, faithfulness gentleness self-control: there is nothing in Torah (Teaching) against such as these.

—Galatians 5:22–23 (ONMB)

How can I produce this Fruit? I cannot! It is the Fruit of the Holy Spirit, [the work which His presence within accomplishes] (Galatians 5:22, AMPC). So the real question is, how can I allow the Holy Spirit to produce this Fruit in me?

Q. What needs to leave my life to make room for The Holy Spirit?

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Holy Spirit, You are welcome to take up residence within me. I surrender all the feelings, emotions, and vices that would keep You away. Work through me to bear much Fruit. Thank You!

January 2

But the wisdom from above is indeed first pure, Then peaceable, kind, obedient, full of mercy and of good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy.

—Jacob 3:17 (ONMB)

(James 3:17 in other Bible translations: Jacob is from the actual Greek translation.)

Wisdom is ours for the asking, and the wisdom from above is loaded with Fruit…without hypocrisy. That is so much better than head knowledge. Smarts are great and given to us by God to be used for good, but real wisdom is no phony.

Q. What are the things in my life right now that need to be handled with wisdom?

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Please infuse me with wisdom from above. Help me to see clearly the answer to the issues that I face. Help me to deal with them impartially and wholeheartedly. Thank You.

January 3

And the fruit of acts of loving kindness is sown in peace by those who make peace.

—Jacob (James) 3:18 (ONMB)

The Fruit of acts of loving kindness is going above and beyond what I can imagine in my human self: …That peace which means concord, agreement, and harmony between individuals, with undisturbedness, in a peaceful mind free from fears and agitating passions and moral conflicts. (James 3:18, AMP)

Q. What is disturbing my peace and stopping me from going above and beyond?

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Please help me put myself aside so that You can do mighty things in and through me, to lift up someone who needs You. Free my mind and open my eyes to see the deep needs of those around me. Thank You.

January 4

And indeed no discipline at the time seems to be joy but grief, but later it would yield the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those being trained by it.

—Hebrews 12:11 (ONMB)

Discipline isn’t a fun word. Doing the right thing again and again is sometimes painful, but eventually, the right thing becomes a part of me and there is peace in that. Like a toddler, I can be convinced that what I want is the best thing only to find out later, it was the worst thing.

Q. In what areas am I least disciplined? In what areas am I most disciplined?

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Please strengthen my resolve to stick with the important things, not the things that look important but the ones that really matter, so that I may reap the Fruit of righteousness.

January 5

Not that I seek or am eager for [your] gift, but I do seek and am eager for the fruit which increases to your credit [the harvest of blessing that is accumulating to your account].

—Philippians 4:17 (AMP)

Even when I think I have nothing to give, there is always something I can give, and giving always bears Fruit. The verse above is not asking for a handout but is pointing out the benefits that come back to me when I give; the Fruit that increases to my credit.

Q. What do I have, that cannot become the Fruit that increases, for me, just because I will not let it go? Can I surrender it?

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All I have is Yours, Lord; I give it to You completely. Also the people I hold, I let them go and give them to You. May it all be Fruit that increases. Thank You.

January 6

So then, my brothers, you also died to legalism through the body of the Messiah, now you belong to another, to the One Who has been raised from the dead, so that we would bear fruit for God. For when we were in the flesh, the passions of the sins, those through legalism, were working in our members so that we would bear fruit in death.

—Romans 7:4–5 (ONMB)

Through legalism, we can only bear Fruit for death. Dying to legalism has made us able to bear Fruit for God. We are bound to bear Fruit of some sort and we have the power to decide what direction we will take.

Q. What legalistic thing/things am I still doing, thinking it will help me bear good Fruit in my own strength?

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May the talents and abilities that You have given me be used to glorify You alone, setting aside self-promotion. Work in and through me to create a bumper crop of good Fruit. Thank You.

January 7

For the fruit of the light is in every goodness and righteousness and truth—trying to learn what is approved by the Lord, and you must not ever participate in the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather oppose them.

—Ephesians 5:9–11 (ONMB)

The Fruit of the light shines clarity on right and wrong…it comforts the hungry; it exposes evil. The fruit of the light affects everyone!

Q. How is my Fruit of the light shining? How does it shine on the things that I participate in? Do I recognize what the light is exposing in me?

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Please shine through me to draw others to You. A light that cannot be hidden—crashing the darkness and bringing hope to the hopeless. Thank You.

January 8

Because of this I say to you that the Kingdom of God will be taken from you and it will be given to a people making its fruits.

—Matthew 21:43 (ONMB)

Jesus was speaking to the Super Religious leaders who were in it to get what they could for themselves. They were judging Jesus for the good that He was doing. The freedom that Jesus gave to those He touched was really getting on their nerves because it was taking away their control. Bearing good Fruit always has to do with loving God and loving people.

Q. In what areas is my focus more on what’s in it for me, rather than how I can serve God and others?

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Sometimes I focus too much on how I look, in the name of religion, than producing the kind of Fruit You want to grow in me. Please help me redirect my focus. Thank You.

January 9

Say to the righteous that it will be well with him, for they will eat the fruit of their doings.

—Isaiah 3:10 (ONMB)

I could not, and I cannot do anything to earn my own redemption. Jesus provided this free and clear. He has made me righteous, but I cannot ignore the fact that being righteous is clearly shown by my doings. When I neglect to do the right that is in me to do, then I have reverted to following that part of me that is still needing to be brought in to line with the truth every day.

Q. What doings are coming back to me as Fruit that nourishes me? Which are the ones that do not feed me in any good way at all?

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Please use me in areas that will matter eternally. Sweep away the cobwebs of the temporary things in my life and mind. Thank You.

January 10

He removes every branch in Me if it does not bear fruit, and He prunes every branch that bears fruit so that it would bear more fruit.

—John 15:2 (ONMB)

As long as the gardener keeps pruning, I know there is opportunity to produce more and richer Fruit. Watching a good gardener helps me see that only the garbage is cleaned out, all the good stuff is nurtured to promote growth. I am not alone in this because I know that it is God who is helping me grow if I only let Him.

Q. What are the useless branches in my life that are not producing any good Fruit?

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Please open my eyes that I may see clearly those things that are serving no good purpose and those things that are actually harming my ability to bear Fruit for You. Thank You.

January 11

And other seed fell among the thorns, and the thorns came up and they were choking it, and it did not give fruit. And others fell on the good soil and when it came up it was giving fruit and increasing and it was bearing.

—Mark 4:7–8 (ONMB)

Verses 18 and 19 go on to tell us what the thorns are: And others are those sown among the thorns: these are those who heard the Word, but the cares of the age and the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for the rest of the things that remain, when they come in they choke the Word and it becomes unfruitful.

Q. What are the cares in my life? How is wealth deceiving me? What earthly desires are choking my ability to bear Fruit?

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Help me to see things in the light of eternity. How weak and frail are the things in this life. I give them up in exchange for the real thing!

January 12

You must make the tree good and its fruit good, or you must make the tree rotten and its fruit rotten: For the tree will be known by its fruit…For the mouth speaks from the abundance of the heart…every idle word which men speak will be paid back with regard to his account on Judgment Day.

—Matthew 12:33–36 (ONMB)

I cannot do this on my own; God in and through me can accomplish the production of good Fruit. But the choice is never taken from me, I am the one in control of my words and they come from my heart. This means; I take control or I give God control.

Q. In what areas do I want to be in charge? Where and why would I prefer God to let me handle it myself?

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All I have, all I am, please be in and through me in every area. Remind me to check with You, Lord, before I take matters into my own hands.

January 13

The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and he that is wise wins souls.

—Proverbs 11:30 (ONMB)

People are hungry for the Fruit we produce. They can tell that it is life-giving Fruit when they see it. When Jesus was hungry and approached the fig tree to find something to eat, it turned out that the tree had nothing but leaves (Matthew 21:19). It was a tree that looked good, as if it had something good to offer but offered no nutritional value.

Q. What Fruit am I producing in my life? What, in my life is nothing but leaves (perhaps even good-looking, showy leaves)?

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Lord, help me to stay rooted in You. Flow through me and cause the abundant growth of amazing Fruit to feed many and win souls to You.

January 14

Those who are planted in the House of the Lord will flourish in the courts of our God. They will still bring forth fruit in old age, they will be flourishing and invigorated to show that the Lord is upright, just. He is my Rock (Sheer Cliff), and there is no unrighteousness in Him.

—Psalms 94:14–15 (ONMB)

We cannot afford to make the mistake of thinking that our life is over when we age. There are many advantages to having years of learning and the gathering of the wisdom from the time we have lived on this earthly plane. We often have more to offer through our experience as well as more to give in other areas.

Q. It is great to rest, except as a way of life. What six different things can I do this coming week to impact someone for good? Can I plan to rest one day this coming week?

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Bring to my heart and mind the needs and desires of others so that I may fulfill them the way You want me to.

January 15

Peace, peace, to him who is far off [both Jew and Gentile] and to him who is near! says the Lord; I create the fruit of his lips, and I will heal him [make his lips blossom anew with speech in thankful praise].

—Isaiah 57:19 (AMP)

Wow! This really takes the pressure off! God says that He will create the Fruit of my lips; I don’t have to come up with the right words at all. I only need to give Him free rein in my actions and words. The only way to stop this from happening for me is to decide that I make better decisions than God and go my own way.

Q. What words of mine need to be surrendered to allow God’s words to flow through me so that He can heal me and make my lips blossom in thankful praise?

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Remove the wrong and empty words from my mouth and guard my lips. Help me to speak Your love and mercy with thankful praise. Thank You.

January 16

Say to the righteous that it shall be well with them, for they shall eat the fruit of their deeds.

—Isaiah 3:10 (AMP)

Another take on the verse from January 9 is that there is a reward for the deeds that we do. God has always planned it that way. When I start to think that the good I do doesn’t mean anything, I must realize that God always repays! The timing for this is not in my hands but it will surely happen…in God’s time.

Q. Those deeds that I have chosen to do, come back to me in amazing ways. What are some of the good things that I enjoy because of my obedience to God in my deeds?

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Thank you for the things that You have brought into my life because You are pleased with me. Thank You for those things that I cannot even imagine, that you have prepared for my eternal future.

January 17

Bring forth fruit that is consistent with repentance [let your lives prove your change of heart]: And already the ax is lying at the root of the trees; every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.

—Matthew 3:8 and 10 (AMP)

If my life is not proving my change of heart, is my heart truly changed? Has my repentance prompted me to take a look at what is ruling in my life. Is it my spirit (that new creation) or do I live with my flesh dictating my actions?

Q. In what areas do I want my own way? What helps me choose the right way?

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You have a perfect plan for me. I give up those plans that I think are better for me but are not in line with Your BEST plan. Before you created me you had a purpose in mind, may I fulfill it according to Your will.

January 18

The one who reaps takes wages and gathers fruit into eternal life, so that the one who sows would rejoice together with the one who is reaping.

—John 4:36 (ONMB)

This Fruit is referring to those brought into a relationship with God. It is God’s Spirit within me that allows me to bear this kind of Fruit. We are the ones who are responsible for this mission and it is best accomplished by working together. Working in unity allows us to rejoice together.

Q. Do I think I’m doing the whole job myself? What jobs can I leave to others so that I can focus on my part in bringing in Fruit that matters? How specifically am I equipped to do this?

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Help me be a team player. Help me listen to You and obey You. You who are the head of this body. I’m part of a mighty force!

January 19

And, when He saw one fig tree on the way, He came up to it and found nothing on it except only leaves, and He said to it, Fruit could no longer ever come from you. And the fig tree immediately withered.

—Matthew 21:19 (ONMB)

The fig tree with lots of leaves looked great! From a distance, it appeared very healthy but when Jesus came close to it, He found no Fruit on it. It was all show!

Q. Are people finding any nutritional value in what I am offering? What kind of Fruit do I provide that people can sink their teeth into?

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May my root system be totally connected to You. May the sweet sap of Your Holy Spirit produce the kind of Fruit that those around me need.

January 20

In this way every good tree produces good fruit, but the rotten tree produces evil fruit. A good tree is not able to produce evil fruit, nor a rotten tree to produce good fruit.

—Matthew 7:17–18 (ONMB)

Here is the issue of living according to the flesh or living according to the Spirit, each lifestyle grows a certain type of tree. In verse 16 of this chapter Jesus says, You will recognize people by their fruit. Does anyone gather grapes from thorn bushes or figs from thistles?

Q. What kind of tree/plant am I? What am I feeding on and what type of Fruit is that producing? Do I act and speak off the top of my head or am I pausing to listen to what God is saying to my heart?

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Set a guard in front of my mouth. Remind me to pause. It is not about me and my opinion. Speak Your truth through me. Thank You.

January 21

Will I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? He has shown you, O man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you, but to do justice, to love loving kindness, and to walk humbly in purity with your God?!

—Micah 6:7–8 (ONMB)

Anything I produce from within myself (even if I gave it all) cannot pay for my sin. But if I have accepted what Jesus has provided, I will have the strength to fulfill the requirements. Justice, love, humility, and purity just don’t happen in my own strength.

Q. Who gets on my nerves the most? Do I approach them with justice, humility, and pure loving kindness?

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