the tongue

Wednesday, November 4, 2009 (4:31 a.m.)

Incredibly Awesome God,

Thank You! Thank You that I get to come to You. Thank You that You not only allow us into Your presence, You invite us! (Luke 14:13) Oh my Lord. Most Holy Lord. How I thank You for Your love!

Feelings have been getting easily hurt around here recently. Thank You that You don’t just leave them there. Thank You that we get to keep coming before You as the little children (Matthew 19:14, Mark 10:14, Luke 18:16) we still behave like so often. Thank You that You have so much to teach us concerning the words we choose and the effects of the tongue.

Lord, You saw me blessing You while cursing Terry yesterday (James 3:9). I was fully aware of the essence of verse ten, although I couldn’t remember the words at the time. “And so blessing and cursing come pouring out of the same mouth. Dear brothers, surely this is not right!”

I knew it wasn’t right Lord, but I didn’t stop. I tried to. I wanted to (at times). But I didn’t. I was well aware that ‘a spring of water does not bubble out first with fresh water and then with bitter’ (11). But I was unable to keep the praises of and for You coming on there own. At one moment I was singing ♫Beautiful One I love, Beautiful One I adore, Beautiful One my soul shall sing♫ and the very next there were horrible words being inserted to express my dissatisfaction of our situation.

Lord, thank You that James took the time and Your inspiration to write his letter telling Your people how to live. In his short written message he told us how we tend to hear Your Word without putting it into practice. Mm. Good aim Lord. Right between my eyes!

Thursday, November 5, 2009 (2:39 a.m.)

Again, Dear Lord ~ again I say, "Thank You." Thank You for once again showing me just how far off Your mark I so very often get.

Lord, as I sit here reading more in my Life Recovery Bible about the tongue and my inability to control it, I thank You for such easy access to the words that just began singing in my heart and my soul. ♫Strength will rise as we wait upon the Lord We will wait upon the Lord We will wait upon the Lord…♫

Blessed Lord, how I ask that You would work in me. Not that I would finally ‘find my voice’ with which to effectively express myself as I’ve been saying these past few weeks. No Lord. Help me find YOUR voice within me!

♫Our God, You reign forever Our Hope, our Strong Deliverer You are the everlasting God The everlasting God You do not faint You won’t grow weary… You’re the defender of the weak You comfort those in need You lift us up on wings like eagles♫

Most Precious Lord, every time I think about strength rising as I wait upon You, I’m sure that this will be the time that I can let it happen. How often though, in the very beginning of waiting, do I begin to wonder why nothing seems to be taking place (according to my terms of what should be happening) and I just give up my watch?

Interesting thought here Lord. All this time of singing this particular song to You, I’ve considered waiting upon You as ‘staying where one is or delaying action until a particular time or until something else happens’. Just now I considered for the very first time that my strength will come as I ‘act as Your attendant’. ‘Wait upon’ here, quite possibly meaning ‘serve’. Hmm, I wonder.

See what I mean Lord? You have a LOT of work still to do in me! One minute I’m thinking about how harsh Terry’s tone of voice and words can be, without even considering my own critical nature.

Oh how I ask that You will work in me Dear Lord. Replace my own destructive words and tones with the ones You would use to heal and encourage. Lord, I love You so much. Teach me to use Your love as the basis for all my thoughts, feelings, actions and very being. ♫…You’re the defender of the weak You comfort those in need You lift us up on wings like eagles♫

Help me use the tongue You gave me to heal and not to destroy, to build up, not tear down, to bless, not curse. I love You so much Dear Lord. Thank You for loving and teaching me. Amen.

(771 words ~ 3:56 a.m.)