April 30, 2023 … Rumors Can Ruin

Berry Patch Devotions in 2023 - Day 120 

Devotional Song: ... GO TO THIS LINK ... </b>  ... Please take the time to take in song and lyrics  from the group We The Kingdom singing … Don’t Tread On Me … powerfully singing of how God defeats all rumors and lies spread against our Lord with the fires of His wrath.   

PEP, the dog imprisoned by gossip ... 

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Highlight Passage: … Proverbs 18:7-8 [NLT] … 

7 Fools words get them into constant quarrels; they are asking for a beating.   8 Rumors  are  faintly morsels that ink deep into one’s hearts. 

… God’s warning, thru Solomon, of the dangers of tantalizing, but foolish gossip.                

Highlight Passage (Context): … Proverbs 18:1-8 [NLT] …  USE THIS LINK …  

… Solomon warns of the foolish danger and folly of gossip.                                     .                     

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Reference Passage: …Exodus 23:1 [NLT] … 

1  “You must not pass along false rumors. You must not cooperate with evil people by lying on the witness stand. 

… God command to His people, thru Moses, against all false rumors and gossip.         

Reference Passage: … Psalm 101:5 [NLT] … 

5 I will not tolerate people who slander their neighbors. I will not endure conceit and pride.

… King David sings of not tolerating anyone who spreads dangerous lies and slander again their neighbors.  

Reference Passage: … Proverbs 11:13, 16:28 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …

… More from Solomon of God’s warning against spreading malicious gossip.       

Reference Passage: … Romans 1:28-20 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK … 

… Paul shows the results of selfish sinful living, involving all kids of malicious behavior, including gossip. .   

Reference Passage: … James 1:26 [NLT] … 

26 If you claim to be religious but don’t control your tongue, you are fooling yourself, and your religion is worthless.

… God, thru His brother, James, exhorts fellow Christian to control our speech, avoiding gossip.                                                                                                                          

My Devotional Journal: Today's Our Daily Bread author, James Banks … AT THIS LINK … tells of malicious gossip being published, … falsely, … telling of the dog of Pennsylvania’s Governor in the 1920’s killing the Governor’s cat.  All lies!!  … But,  following the published lies, the dog , named “Pet,” was sent to a state prison and became a beloved prison therapy dog (see photo).  

Yes, God can - and often does - redeem sinful situations being perpetrated against the innocent by malicious gossip.   However,  the story of “Pet” does illustrate why God hates malicious gossip and unbridled lying being spread in the world as it so often is.   Because gossip so often leads to damage in the lives of others, which my fellow Christians can read about in the Scriptures above.  

I’m praying today we all are committed to doing all we can to bridle our tongues and speak only truth in sharing information about anybody in our lives. 

My THANKFULNESS: ... Oh, Abba Father, thank You, King Jesus, … for giving me the empowering grace to help me avoid gossiping about anyone.   

My Prayer Today: Oh Abba Father, ... King Jesus, ... . I pray that all reading here will join me, … to speak only truth about others in our lives today.  …  Amen               . 

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Blogger Note:  Everyday during this year, my daily devotional blogs are influenced by the reading and study of the online devotional blog entitled “Our Daily Bread,” distributed online via email by RBC Ministries.  If you GO TO THIS LINK on the date of my blog, you can read/study the ODB blogs; or you can subscribe to the blog via email at that site.