Just think, if we would only keep our mouths shut, we’d be perceived by others as intelligent and clever. We would appear as if we had great understanding and insight if we merely restrained our lips. But unfortunely what happens most times is that we open our mouth and take all shred of doubt away!
Joel 2:25 ” I will repay you for the years the locusts have eaten.”
For many of us our past has been full of blight and plagues of locust devouring everything in sight. We have sown, but harvested little; we have planted only to see it eaten up and laid waste. Lost has been time, money, emotional security, and relationships. The Lord can’t turn back time, but He can bless our future by recompensing fully the past. In Haggai 2:9 it states that…”The glory of this present house will be greater than the glory of the former house,’ says the Lord Almighty,’And in this place I will grant peace.’declares the Lord Almighty.” And so I speak this into our life today…you may be looking back at the shambles of your past, but the Lord is putting down a new foundation in your future and it is built on peace without fear. And in this process the Lord will give back what has been taken from you.
James 3:8 “…but no man can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.”
Many years ago I worked at a large health facility as a Dept. Head in a unit set apart from the rest of the building. I knew the rest of the staff well, but didn’t have a lot of daily contact, except for one lady I saw everyday. She was in Medical Records and would bring the paperwork. After settling down at my Nurses Station she would sigh loudly and then start a verbal assault of my fellow staffers at the other end of the building. By the time she was done I was certain there must be blood on the floor around her from all the back stabbing that had occurred. As she walked away I thought to myself, if she was talking so badly about them, what was she saying about me and my staff? So I decided to try a little “experiment”…the next day when she started her tirade I quickly interjected a positive remark about the person in question. This so took her back that she sputtered and tired again about someone else.But once more I made a positive remark about them. Deflated that I wouldn’t join in, she left. And so my little experiment continued daily, and soon our chats were cheerful and positive, void of gossip and back biting. I may not have tamed the tongue, but I did manage to put a teeny tiny bridle on it!
Hebrews 4:12 ” For the Word of God is living and active, sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit; joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.”
The Bible…no other book available to the masses can speak so intimately to each one of us. Scripture we have read over and over one day jumps out at us and we read it anew from a totally fresh perspective. Or a verse we come upon will apply perfectly to the problem we’re struggling with that very day. The omnipotent voice of God is alive and at work in His Word. When you read it the Word is set free to accomplish its goal. On the Day of Pentecost after Peter had addressed the crowd concerning the risen Jesus they had crucified it says “that they were cut to the heart” by his words, repented, and over 3,000 were baptized. Their thoughts and emotions were pierced by Peter’s anointed words.
Isaiah 32:17 ” The fruit of righteousness will be peace; the effect of righteousness will be quietness and confidence forever.”
Righteousness is “Right Living” in this Unright world populated by many Unright people. Living a righteous life day after day is frankly a challenge, but Isaiah wanted us to be encouraged by the incredible benefits that we could gain from living a righteous life. The result of this right living will be a sense of total well-being in your life. The culmination of this righteousness will be tranquility knowing that your relationship with God is secure. It may not be the easiest, but the bottom line is that discipline produces righteousness which produces peace.
Romans 15:13 ” May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”
Just after my sister began chemotherapy for breast cancer they found a suspicious nodule on my mammogram. My first inclination was to call everyone I knew to pray, but the Lord stopped me cold…”Trust in Me” He whispered. ” Alright”, I countered, “but what about just a few of my prayer warrior friends?” Again God’s reply was “Trust in Me.” That evening Landy and I prayed, and the next morning this scripture in Romans jumped out at me. “Lord, my trust is in you and no one else, please fill me with all peace and joy as I wait on you.” I prayed. The Ultrasound showed just a benign fluid filled cyst, nothing worrisome at all. As I thanked God for this good report I pondered what lesson He wanted me to take from this all. By putting all my confidence in Him I was filled with hope,joy,and peace as I trusted in Him. I then could overflow with that same kind of faith and confidence every time I prayed for someone else. My faith has grown by this experience, my confidence in my God has only deepened.
Romans 4:18 ” Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations, just as it had been said to him,’So shall your offspring be.’ “
Have you ever been in Abraham’s sandals? God has given you a promise which you have fervently held on to, maybe for a long time,but it continues to look so hopeless. It says that Abraham also realistically knew that he and his wife were way beyond childbearing age, yet he neither weakened or waived in his belief that God would come through somehow. And so I encourage you today…regardless of what the situation looks like, know that God is in complete control and has the power to do what He has promised, for with God ALL things are possible.
Proverbs 28:10 ” He who works his land will have abundant food, but the one who chases fantasies will have his fill of poverty.”
I’ve been around farmers all my life, from being born and raised on a farm in Illinois, to being married to a man who was in agribusiness most of his life. Those that work the soil are a special breed…they are true stewards of “His land”, and take the responsibly seriously. This might be why the writer of this Proverb used a farmer to contrast with those who continually run after empty, worthless things. A farmer is disciplined, and realistic, with insight and wisdom to get the very best out of his land without depleting it in the process. While a daydreamer with visions of grandeur will always chase after that next big thing that’s forever just out of reach.
Ezekiel 22:30 ” I looked for a man among them who would build up the wall and stand before Me in the gap on behalf of the land so I would not have to destroy it, but I found none.”
There are people around you today with broken down walls. They have gaping holes that need repair, but helplessly they watch the enemy breach them. So what erodes at our walls? Things like depression, chronic illness, grief, or addictions all pound against it. Before long despondency and apathy take over and we give up. This is when standing in the gap for someone becomes so very important. By interceding in prayer on their behalf and offering encouragement and support you can give hope to the hopeless. And by standing in that void of their broken down wall you have made it secure against the enemies siege.
Psalm 119:109 ” Though I constantly take my life in my hands, I will not forget your law.”
The Psalmist was being very honest with God…Lord I know I mess up on a daily basis, and put myself in harm’s way by thinking I know more than You, or demanding that I get my own way. I also unfortunately realize this is not Your will for my life. So though this world pushes and pulls me in all kinds of directions, I will not lose sight of your law… And I also understand that I must first KNOW Your law in order to not forget Your law.
Safetypinlove 