2009 – Day 192.July 12 – Watch Your Words

2009 – Day 192.July 12 – Watch Your Words

Passage of the Day: Esther 4: 1 - 8 … Linked for study …

My Journal for Today: As the story line with Esther heats up, today we read of Mordecai trying to get word to Esther about the crisis befalling the Jews, … how Haman has maneuvered himself to convince King Xerxes to pass a law which would bring annihilation of Esther’s people. And Swindoll in his study for this date is making the point, using Mordecai’s directed communication through Esther’s assigned Eunuch, that we need to communicate, especially in a crisis, carefully and accurately.

Have you noticed, in these days of Twitter, Facebook, and email communications, how quickly and easily innuendo, inaccuracy, and gossip can be passed along. I use email a lot; and I’m new to Facebook. And I’ve noted how often I get information forwarded to me which is often totally inaccurate and sometimes hurtful to others. I’ve also learned, before I forward anything on email, to check out the reliability of the information. And the point which Swindoll is making by our story today is that Mordecai needed to get Haman’s plot and the critical state of the Jews to Esther and to the King; and he did so by using Esther’s assigned Eunuch as his messenger, making sure he got exactly the right message to Esther which would edify her about this plot to kill the Jews.

Is that how you operate today? Do you take the necessary steps to pass along only accurate messages; and do you do so the right heart, avoiding gossip and not trying to call attention to self rather than to glorify God. As I was meditating on today’s message as well as from Swindoll, the command of God through the Apostle Paul came to my mind from Ephesians 4: 29, which states (in the NKJV), Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers.

And therein we have the criteria from God for passing along any word, whether by mouth or Twitter. And we need to filter any information we convey through the two criteria in Ephesians 4: 29, asking ourselves, “Does my message edify and give grace to the person with whom I’m communicating?” If it doesn’t, God message is straight forward for me to keep my mouth or keyboard silent.

Ouch! I stand in conviction; and I will pray that I think about Mordecai’s example and the Apostle Paul’s message the next time I bring words to other, especially about sensitive or personal or critical matters.

My Prayer for Today: Lord, in the words of David, Your Psalmist, “May the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, You are my strength and my Redeemer.” Amen