Wonderful Words of Life

November 20, 2012 Sing them over again to me – Wonderful words of life; Let me more of their beauty see – Wonderful words of life; Words of life and beauty, teach me faith and duty; Beautiful words, wonderful words, wonderful words of life. (Philip P. Bliss) Our tongue is one of the most powerful organs of our body. Proverbs 18:21 tells us that “life or death is in the power of the tongue.” We can speak life, hope, peace and healing with a gentle tongue (15:4), and speaking the truth in love. Also it says in the twelfth chapter and eighteenth verse, “There are some who speak rashly, like the piercing of a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.” Are we rash or are we wise with our words? Have you ever heard anyone extol the praises of harsh, vile words? I don’t think so. But Solomon, the wisest man ever to live, said in Proverbs 25:11, “A word fitly spoken and in due season (at the right time) is like apples of gold in settings of silver.” Also in 15:23 he says, “A man has joy in making an apt answer, and a word spoken at the right moment – how good it is!” The third chapter of James has a lot to say about the words that come from our tongue. In verses 5-12 it describes our tongue as "a fire, a world of wickedness which can contaminate and deprave our entire body, being itself ignited by everlasting punishment” (vs.6). James goes on to say in verses 7-8, that every sort of beast can be, and has been tamed, by human genius, but no man can tame the tongue. It is described as, “an irreconcilable evil, full of deadly poison.” In verses 9-12, James shows the dichotomy and hypocrisy of our untamed tongue – “With it we bless the Lord and Father, and with it we curse men who are made in the image of God - these things ought not to be.” Then James ask us to reason about this unruly, small member of our body, “Does the same fountain simultaneously, send forth fresh and bitter water; or does a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs?” The answer to these questions is, “Of course not!” Neither can a tongue that has been consecrated, cleansed and brought into control by the Holy Spirit speak evil and wicked words. We cannot tame our tongue, but we can yield its control to the Holy Spirit and let Him purify and bring it under His control. When we fail we must confess, repent and again yield our entire being to the Holy Spirit. Our words all start with our thoughts – “As a man thinks, so is he” (Prov.23:7), and we are to lead every thought captive to the obedience of Jesus Christ” (II Cor. 10:5). As we “walk in the Spirit and not in the flesh,” then we can speak words of life. Then, and only then, can we be like Jesus Who spoke words of life. He strongly advised; He warned those who were unruly; He encouraged the fainthearted; He supported the weak, all the while He was patient with all men knowing how weak they were - and He is the same with us. To be like Jesus we must put our tongues on His proverbial altar – we must consecrate it, yield it, and submit it to His control. To speak continuous words of life we must stay filled with His Spirit. Even the Son said in Isaiah 50: 4, “The Lord God has given Me the tongue of one who is taught, that I should know how to speak a word in season to him who is weary.” So we too must be taught (and easy to learn) how to speak the right words at the right time. “All men must be quick to hear (a ready listener), slow to speak, slow to take offense and to get angry. For man’s anger does not promote the righteousness of God (that He requires and requests).” So, I repeat the Word, instead of giving into the flesh and the carnal way of responding we must learn how to be quick to hear and slow to speak and slow to get angry (James 1:19-20) –to speak life instead of death. Remember, “A soft answer turns away wrath but grievous words stir up anger (Prov.15:1). My prayer for all of us: O Lord, empty us of self and fill us with Your Holy Spirit so that the words of our mouths and the meditations of our hearts will be acceptable to You, our Strength and our Redeemer. Set a guard before our mouths so that only words of kindness, truth, wisdom and love would come forth. Keep watch at the door of our lips so that our words will be so filled with Your love that mercy and truth are met together, and that righteousness and peace have kissed each other. Keep our tongues from evil and our lips from speaking deceit (Ps. 34:13;41:3; Prov.17:28; 26:22-28). Forgive us for our hypocrisy honoring You with our lips when our hearts are far from You (Mark 7:6), but help us to keep a pure heart and wonderful words of life coming from our mouths. Thank You, for Your promise which says, “For let him who wants to enjoy life and see good days, keep his tongue free from evil and his lips from deceit” (I Peter 3:10). Now to You Who are able to keep us without stumbling, and to present us blameless and faultless before the presence of Your glory in triumphant joy and exultation with unspeakable delight – to the One and only God, our Savior through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, might and dominion, and power and authority, before all time and now and forever,unto all the ages of eternity (Jude 24-25). Amen.