“They had followed the practices of the pagan nations the Lord had driven from the land ahead of them, as well as the practices the kings of Israel had introduced.” ~ 2 Kings 17:8
If one leaves cheese; milk; raw meat or fish outside of the refrigerator for too long a period of time, they will most likely become moldy; go rancid; or rotten, due to the non-conducive surroundings. God had given the Israelite's sets of rules which they were required to live by, in order to influence people and different religious beliefs around them. Instead, the Israelite's were influenced by the cultures around them and ended up breaking God’s’ rules. What we choose to ingest, spiritually or physically, is what will inevitably increase in our lives – what will flow from us or our spirit. Continuously surrounding oneself with gossip or negativity will inevitably produce gossip and negativity from within. However, the opposite effect can occur if we intentionally surround ourselves with words of encouragement; friendships that speak life into our lives or spending regular personal time in God’s word. Our environment breeds our character. Just as we follow care instructions on food packaging, so too we should follow Gods care instructions on what we allow to enter our minds and hearts. After all, the heart is where our intention flows from. Faith step: Ruminate on what is surrounding you . . . What is filling your life-vessel? What do you want your vessel to be overflowing from? What do you represent outside the vessel of another?
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