I remember when as a very young Christian desiring above all to learn from the Lord, and to do things His way. Since I had done so many things my way and failed, I knew that Jesus had the answers for me in His Word. One of the first personal Bible studies the Lord led me to seek out was on “what He had to say about what people spoke.” This search went on for months, and left me in such a state of the fear of the Lord that I was even fearful to speak well of anyone. It is also one of the reasons that I am committed, to the best of my ability not to gossip, also for the fact that I have seen so many lives affected, or even destroyed because of malicious indiscretions.
For example, Jesus says in Matthew 12: 36: “And I say to you, that every careless word that men shall speak, they shall render account to it in the Day of Judgment.” There are some verses (which sometimes make me want to chuckle), which I read that gave me a whole new meaning of why some Churches should be empty, as in Proverbs 20: 19: “He who goes about as a slanderer reveals secrets, therefore do not associate with a gossip. Also in James 1: 26: it says, “If anyone thinks himself to be religious, and yet does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this man’s religion is worthless.” So you can see by these few examples, that the Lord has a lot to say about what comes out of our mouths.
In Isaiah 58: 8 -9 + 11a: it says, “Then your light will break out like the dawn, and your recovery will speedily spring forth; and your righteousness will go before you; the Glory of the Lord will be your rearguard. Then you will call, and the Lord will answer; you will cry, and He will say, “Here I am.” If you remove the yoke from your midst, the pointing of the finger, speaking of wickedness; And the Lord will continually guide you, and satisfy your desire in scorched places, and give strength to your bones, and you will be like a watered garden…” I am thankful for the wisdom from God’s Word, which tells me that what I speak determines even the course of my life. I can choose today to sow words that give life and glorify God my Creator.
Dearest Holy Lord Jesus: thank you so much for the awareness that I have responsibilities with the gifts which You have so kindly bestowed. Not only with the choice of my words, but also with what my eyes see, my ears hear, where my feet go, and if I choose to align my will with Your plans for my life. May you be greatly glorified today through the obedience of Your children to Your Holy Word which gives life more abundantly. Glory to You alone!
