If our hearts were wells, what sort of water flows from yours?

Does a spring produce both fresh water and salt water?

We know it doesn't! It's one or the other!

So, too, is the heart. Either our hearts are full of God and He springs forth from the spout of our mouths, or our hearts are full of bitterness, the fruit of corruption, and our mouths spout out godlessness.

The Apostle James says it like this: "From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so.

Does a spring pour forth from the same opening both fresh and salt water? Can a fig tree, my brothers, bear olives, or a grapevine produce figs? Neither can a salt pond yield fresh water."
(James 3:10-12 ESV)

James simply contends that a mouth that pours forth both blessing and cursing should not be that way. It's unnatural for the godly person. Something is not right.

Jesus said, "But the words you speak come from the heart--that's what defiles you." (Matthew 15:18 NLT) In other words, whatever is truly in the heart is what comes out of the mouth. And, if both blessings and cursings are coming out of the mouth, the heart is corrupt, and, as James said, "...these things ought not be so."

What, then? What shall we do? This is precisely why we need new hearts. The Prophet Ezekiel said, "And I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart." (Ezekiel 36:26 NLT) We need new hearts...hearts that are full of God and hearts that will respond to His leading, to His voice, to His command, to His will and way.

We need new hearts; clean wells, if you will. We need to be made new.

What is pouring out of your well? Blessings? Cursings? Both? Whatever is in the well comes up in the bucket. Whatever is in our heart comes out of our mouth. What's in your well today?

Does what we say from our heart agree with who we say is in it?