Samuel D. High
sdhigh@aristotle.net
-----Original Message-----
From: Apostle Tom <pressingon@hotmail.com>
Sent: Tue, 29 Jul 2008 21:28:34 -0500
To: <pressingon@hotmail.com>
Subject: Morning Manna (July 30); BP: Ps.119:169-176; RBTTY: Rom.2; Ps.51-53
July 30 “Right Speaking”
“My lips shall utter praise when You have taught me Your Statutes. My tongue shall speak of Your Word—for all Your commandments are righteousness.”
Psalm 119:171-172
Although no one can “tame the tongue” (James 3:8), it can become a “treasured tool” when His “Hidden Treasure” (His Word) finds lodging in our heart and expression in our mouth.
What would happen if we tape-recorded every word we speak in a day—every conversation with a co-worker. . .every exclamation in every traffic jam. . .every “idle word” said in jest or every heated word said in anger? Why, we might take a needle and thread and sew our lips shut!
Yes, we know the power of the tongue and our tendency to “bless God and curse men” (James 3:9). We know this “ought not to be” (James 3:10b)—but, the sad reality is it’s so. And, as Jesus said, “By your words you shall be justified and by your words you shall be condemned” (Mt. 12:37).
That’s why today’s Manna is a clarion call for us to “study to show ourselves approved (Grk. ‘dokimos’—‘acceptable, tried and proved, pleasing, reputable, etc.’) unto God, a workman that needs not to be ashamed, rightly dividing (Grk. ‘orthotomeo’—‘to make a straight cut, dissect, to correctly expound a message, to lay bare with a single blow, etc.’) the Word of Truth” (II Tim. 2:15).
Sadly, most professing “Pilgrims of the Way” are Biblically illiterate. Instead of being “active practitioners of the Word” (James 1:22) they are “dull of hearing, lacking in skillful interpretation and application of the Word because of failure to spend time daily in the Word” (Heb. 5:11-14).
Is it any wonder that we’re easy prey for the evil one when it comes to spiritual warfare (I Pet. 5:8)? We’re “ignorant of His devices/traps/snares, etc.” (II Cor. 2:11) and easily succumb to our own “lust of the flesh, eyes and pride of life” (I Jn. 2:16). And, like the children of
Oh, dear Pilgrim, why not try a “Holy Experiment” today and see if you can go through the entire day “uttering praise” and willing your tongue “to speak of His Word”? Impossible? Maybe—but with a conscious effort we can “capture our thoughts and bring them under Jesus’ Lordship” (II Cor. 10:5) and do a better job of “bridling our tongue so we’ll offend less by what we say” (James 3:2).
May our cry today be “O Lord, give me understanding according to Your Word (Ps. 119:169) and help me to long for Your salvation—for Your Law is my delight (Heb. ‘shua’—‘enjoyment, pleasure, etc.’).” In so doing we’ll understand what it means to have “the tongue of the learned so we can speak a word in season to him that is weary” (Is. 50:4) and know when to speak and when to keep our mouths shut (Eccl. 3:7b).
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