Promise for Today - On Fire

In the same way, the tongue is a small thing that makes grand speeches. But a tiny spark can set a great forest on fire. And the tongue is a flame of fire. It is a whole world of wickedness, corrupting your entire body. It can set your whole life on fire, for it is set on fire by hell itself.
James 3:5-6 NLT

Recently, I heard a sermon about judging others. I thought I'd been doing pretty well about not judging people; that is until I heard the sermon in its entirety. I was going along just fine with it, doing a mental checklist - Check - no longer do that. Check - no longer do that.  Check - no longer do that... Then he asked. "So you think you're doing pretty well - not judging people? How about when you're at work and you no sooner hang up the phone and you say, 'Idiot.' You just passed judgment on that person..."

As much as I'd like to try to justify that particular action by claiming that I was just stating fact, Ephesians 4:29 instructs me, "Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers." Declaring someone an idiot is definitely NOT ministering grace... And even though I wasn't actively pursuing the act of pronouncing judgment, that's exactly what I'd done.

Yes, the tongue is a flame of fire. It is interesting to note that in common law, arson is defined as 'the malicious burning of another's dwelling'. For purposes of common law arson, malicious is defined as 'an action creating a GREAT RISK of a burning'. It is not required that the defendant acted intentionally or willfully for the purpose of burning a dwelling. Creating the RISK is enough to be charged with the crime (sin).

So, here I am, yet again, walking out James 5:16, "Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed." Please, God, keep Your arm around my shoulder and Your hand over my mouth. 

Prayer:

Father,
          Thank You for Your Word that always leads us back to You and redemption. Restore a right spirit within us, O Lord. Give us clean hands and pure hearts. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Friends' Favorites - How'm I Doing?

Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be so.
James 3:19 NKJV

You know, I really, REALLY don't like it when my actions become an illustrated sermon of how NOT to act. I have a sign at my desk - I think I told you about it before - It reads, "Lord, keep Your arm around my shoulder...and Your hand over my mouth." Unfortunately, today it was just a decoration hanging on the wall; it was not a prayer, nor an act of submission to God's greater good. I lost track of how many times today I muttered, "Idiot..." and I am terribly convicted by it.

But there is a Promise for it - it's found in 1st John 1:9, If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Sometimes, God has to use an illustration to get our attention and make us see His Word...well, at least that's how it works in my life. I'm a hands-on, visual learner. Thankfully, He loves us enough to reprimand us when we need it, and then provides grace and mercy, along with His forgiveness.

The other point He drove home for me today is that, if the prayer or the Word is just a decoration, just something sitting around and not actively in use, it doesn't do us or those around us any good. And we are here to follow in Christ's footsteps, who according to Acts 10:38a-b, ...you know that God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. Then Jesus went around doing good... So, what am I doing? How'm I doing?

Ask me in the morning...His mercies are new every morning.

Prayer:

Father,
Thank You for loving us enough to correct us. Even though we may not like the correction at the time, thanks so much for caring enough about us to make the correction. By Your grace, and with Your provision, we strive to do better. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

How'm I Doing? - by Request

Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be so.

James 3:19 NKJV

You know, I really, REALLY don't like it when my actions become an illustrated sermon of how NOT to act. I have a sign at my desk - I think I told you about it before - It reads, "Lord, keep Your arm around my shoulder...and Your hand over my mouth." Unfortunately, there are days it's just a decoration hanging on the wall; not a prayer, nor an act of submission to God's greater good. I lost track of how many times in the last day and a half I muttered, "Idiot" under my breath...and I am terribly convicted by it. 

But there is a Promise for it - it's found in 1st John 1:9, If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Sometimes, God has to use an illustration to get our attention to make us see His Word... well, at least that's how it works in my life. I'm a hands-on, visual learner. Thankfully, He loves us enough to reprimand us when we need it, and then provides grace and mercy, along with His forgiveness.

The other point He drove home for me is that, if the prayer or the Word is just a decoration, just something sitting around and not actively in use, it doesn't do us or those around us any good. We are here to follow in Christ's footsteps, to do as He did (in fact, He said greater things shall we do). So, according to Acts 10:38a-b, ...you know that God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. Then Jesus went around doing good...  

So, what am I doing? How'm I doing?

Ask me in the morning... His mercies are new every morning.

Prayer:

Father,

         Thank You for loving us enough to correct us. Even though we may not like the correction at the time, thanks so much for caring enough about us to make the correction. By Your grace, and with Your provision, we strive to do better. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen