Today’s Reading – Job 19 – 21 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)
(Second Milers Read – Colossians 1 – 4; Psalms 46 – 50; Proverbs 10)
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Psalm 55:17
Read the “0610 Evening and Morning” devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon
“Then Job answered and said, How long will ye vex my soul, and break me in pieces with words?” (Job 19:1 & 2)
You didn’t have to read long this morning to find a great truth from today’s passage. Job is in the middle of the discourse with his three ‘friends’ who are accusing him of all kinds of wickedness; adding sorrow on top of sorrows. He is already as low as he can go, but these guys continue to beat him and kick him when he is down; and their weapons are their tongues.
“And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell. … But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.” (James 3:6, 8 )
“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.” (Ephesians 4:29)
The Bible has so much to say about the deadly nature of the tongue. Why are we so quick to run our mouths when God tells us very plainly that we are to be slow to speak. We all could avoid much of our problems with our mouth by simply not saying anything unless it is absolutely necessary, or unless we are sure we are saying something that is edifying. If we have to speak at all maybe it would be best if we paused and prayed about what would be the best thing to say.
Job’s friends were not helping him at all; they were making him worse. Remember, the purpose for their visit was to ‘comfort’ him. Maybe they should have just listened to him; even let him vent a little. Maybe, I should try the same thing. As a pastor I need to learn to listen more; pray before speaking; and, as much as possible, tell people what God said instead of what I think.
Lord, help me not to kill or maim any more people with my tongue.
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This is one area that I remember my dad really trying to train us to think before we spoke. I still hear him say "If you can't say something nice don't say anything at all." or "Don't say anything you wouldn't want to see published in the paper" and "Once it is out of your mouth you can't take it back." I don't consider myself a big talker but this is one area that is such a struggle. I often catch myself mid-sentence thinking why in the world am I saying this. Prayer is the only thing that helps but remembering to pray specifically for this often my problem too.
Thank you. I needed this reminder today. The stress & pressure in my job sure tends to send the tongue into quick retorts sometimes. I need to slow it down.
Amen I think we all needed this post
Amen Pastor.Your words are well put.This post I need to read over again from time to time to keep my tongue in check .I am a talker I like to carry conversation with people around me ,but there are times when I say why did I say that ,I have to remember that my words need to glorify God .Like the post.
so true Pastor, Lord let me not just acknowledge this message as truth, but to put it into practice,I need to live it, amen!
Amen Pastor. It only takes one small match or a spark to bring total destruction to thousands of acres of trees not to mention animal life and human life. The words that we speak is no difference. Maybe we cannot change the destructive words that we used in the past, but we can learn to control our words in the future and not make the same mistakes with the tongue. There is a quote that says don’t let your words come back to haunt you.
A soft answer turneth away wrath. Proverbs 15:1.like the post.