Devotional Song: … GO TO THIS LINK … … Please take the time to take in a video of the BeeGees singing their love song, … Words, declaring the power of words to bring love in our human relationships.
Highlight Passage: James 3:8-9 [NKJV] …
8 But no man can tame the tongue. It is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. 9 With it we bless our God and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the similitude of God.
… We are warned by God, thru James, to beware of how we use the tongue (i.e., our words) to build up or tear down our human relationships.
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Highlight Context – James 3:1-12 [NKJV] … USE THIS LINK …
… James gives a dire warning to Christians about the power of our words to do good or evil.
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Reference Passage #1 - Matthew 12:36-37 [NKJV] …
36 “… But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment. 37 For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”
… Jesus exhorts His followers that we’ll all be judged for what we say at the judgement of God.
Reference Passage #2 - Ephesians 4:29 [NKJV] …
29 Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers.
… Paul tells us that our words to others should only reflect human edification or Godly grace; … or we should shut up!!
My Journal for Today: Today’s Our Daily Bread author, the late Marion Stroud, teaches on a premise all Christian should heed … the power of the tongue in human relationships.
Fellow readers … you may remember the old ditty we used to repeat as youngsters, … “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words can never hurt me!” … And I’m sure you agree, how wrong that old platitude was and is. Words can - and often do - hurt, especially when they’re leveled against young people by peers or parents in the formative years (see attached photo).
And God’s word (i.e., His truth) is clear in warning disciples of Christ about how we use words; and I loved finding the old love song, written and sung by the BeeGees, entitled Words this morning, which expresses how we build our love relationships - with words!
In fact, several New Testament authors warn Christians how we should avoid using hurtful words with others, expressing only those things which build up or give grace to our hearers (see Eph. 4:29). That was the Apostle Paul; but besides him, James, the brother of Jesus, almost shouts out how dangerous our tongues can be when we use them to light the fires of hatred and prejudice [see James 3 above]. … And Jesus, Himself, warned that we all will be judged by God for what we say at the final judgement [see Matt. 12:36-37 above].
So, do we get it? How about it, fellow wordsmith, … let’s go out and watch what we say today, … doing all we can to avoid spewing forth any damaging words; and even more so, consciously speaking forth Christlike edification and grace to our hearers, … especially those we love.
My Prayer Today: Heavenly Father, … Help me speak as You would speak; and let others hear You in my words. Amen
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.
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