Written Oct. 20, 2008
Psalm 38 is a powerful Psalm and one I fear most of us cannot relate to. David is in anguish over the sin in his life…
v. 3-5 “Because of Your wrath there is no health in my body my bones have no soundness because of my sin. My guilt has overwhelmed me like a burden too heavy to bear. My wounds fester and are loathsome because of my sinful folly.”
Have you ever felt that way over the sin in your life? I can’t say it causes me anguish and certainly I don’t “go around” all day “mourning: (v. 6)
So should we? I think we should see our sin for what it is and be broken by it. 2 Cor. 7:10 says “Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret but worldly sorrow brings death.”
We don’t want worldly sorrow … which is mainly upset for being “caught”… we want Godly sorrow.
I don’t believe we have to mourn all day as David did. We have Jesus and through Him the forgiveness of our sins.
1 John 1:9 promises that “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sings and purify us from all unrighteousness.”
What an awesome promise!
Psalm 39 starts with David trying to do the impossible…
v. 1 “I said, ‘I will watch my ways and keep my tongue from sinning; I will put a muzzle over my mouth.’”
James 3 makes it clear that no one can tame their tongue. Just try and you will quickly see how difficult and impossible this task is in your own strength. Only through God can this happen/
Verses 4 & 5 have come to my mind a number of times lately and I’ve realized what a powerful prayer they are…
Show me, O Lord, my life’s end and the number of my days; let me know how fleeting is my life. You have made my days a mere handbreadth; the span of my years is as nothing before You. Each man’s life is but a breath.
How differently would I live my life if I truly understood how short my time is here on earth?
Yesterday, my pastor told of a man given a terminal diagnosis and how he lived life differently and then he reminded us that we all are terminal and in light of the Kingdom calendar, we will all die soon. We need to live life with that mindset… I need to live life today with that mindset… and every day I have left where I have two days or 40 years.
V. 6 is a picture of the world today…
Man is a mere phantom as he goes to and fro; he bustles about, but only in vain; he heaps up wealth not knowing who will get it.
What a sobering and powerful verse!
“But now, Lord, what do I look for? My Hope is in You!” (v. 7)
The result of that hope is seen in Psalm 40:1-3
I waited patiently for the Lord; He turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; He set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand. He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God.
David continues in Psalm 40 to talk of the blessings of trusting in the Lord. How different his tone here than in Psalm 38. Ps. 40 is a man who has been forgiven and is back on the right path.
V. 8 is one we should all learn and pray daily “I desire to do Your will, O my God, Your law is within my heart.”
That is key… get in the Word and get the Word in you.. then you will sing a new song like David.
Showing posts with label tongue. Show all posts
Showing posts with label tongue. Show all posts
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
Controlling the Tongue
I've been studying a tough subject this week... the tongue. Does anyone really like James 3? How can you not feel convicted when you read... "With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God's likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be" (v. 9 - 10). It is important to understand that to curse doesn't just mean to slam and talk vulgar or nasty about someone... when I criticize, make sarcastic remarks, offer unsolicited advice, gossip, etc. those are ways I curse men with my tongue.
So my prayer is for God to take the sharpness from my mouth. Sarcasm is a big thing for me. I have a fairly quick wit and it shows up in sharp retorts and sarcastic remarks. I think sarcasm can be funny, but often it is hurtful... and really it never fulfills Eph. 4:29-30's exhortation to speak words that build others up. Sarcasm is not a building block.. it is a wrecking ball.
As I prayed this morning for God to take the sharpness from my mouth, I found myself saying "and from my heart." That really is where it all begins isn't it? Luke 6:45 tells us that "out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks." So what is inside us... our attitude... our thoughts... this is what comes out in our speech.
That is why when someone makes a rude or hurtful remark and then says "I didn't mean that" we don't believe them. We know that somewhere deep inside they meant it.
Mark 7:20 - 23 tells us that "What comes out of a man is what makes him 'unclean.' For from within, out of men's hearts, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly. All these evils come from inside and make a man 'unclean.' "
Now it is easy to read this list and think.. well I'm safe. I don't steal.. don't murder.. am not lewd... etc. but you just might be. Words can steal someone's joy.... murder their confidence...we can be greedy by grabbing attention for ourselves with the use of words...that little white lie is deceit... that slightly rude joke is lewd...bragging, even about your kids, is arrogance... and folly? This is all the idle chitchat in your life. Like it or not, we can have all sorts of evil in us and it will come spewing forth if we don't deal with it.
How do we deal with it? 2 verses come to mind... Romans 12:2 tells us to be renewed by the transforming of our mind. We do this by being in the Word.... and by getting the Word into us. Phil. 4:8 gives up a plumbline as to our thought life... think about things which are Pure, Right, Excellent, Praiseworthy, Lovely, Admirable, Noble or True. How can I think on those things if they aren't in me?
It really does come back to the Word. We have to be in the Word and have the Word in us in order for our words to be God honoring. It is as simple as that.
So my prayer is for God to take the sharpness from my mouth. Sarcasm is a big thing for me. I have a fairly quick wit and it shows up in sharp retorts and sarcastic remarks. I think sarcasm can be funny, but often it is hurtful... and really it never fulfills Eph. 4:29-30's exhortation to speak words that build others up. Sarcasm is not a building block.. it is a wrecking ball.
As I prayed this morning for God to take the sharpness from my mouth, I found myself saying "and from my heart." That really is where it all begins isn't it? Luke 6:45 tells us that "out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks." So what is inside us... our attitude... our thoughts... this is what comes out in our speech.
That is why when someone makes a rude or hurtful remark and then says "I didn't mean that" we don't believe them. We know that somewhere deep inside they meant it.
Mark 7:20 - 23 tells us that "What comes out of a man is what makes him 'unclean.' For from within, out of men's hearts, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly. All these evils come from inside and make a man 'unclean.' "
Now it is easy to read this list and think.. well I'm safe. I don't steal.. don't murder.. am not lewd... etc. but you just might be. Words can steal someone's joy.... murder their confidence...we can be greedy by grabbing attention for ourselves with the use of words...that little white lie is deceit... that slightly rude joke is lewd...bragging, even about your kids, is arrogance... and folly? This is all the idle chitchat in your life. Like it or not, we can have all sorts of evil in us and it will come spewing forth if we don't deal with it.
How do we deal with it? 2 verses come to mind... Romans 12:2 tells us to be renewed by the transforming of our mind. We do this by being in the Word.... and by getting the Word into us. Phil. 4:8 gives up a plumbline as to our thought life... think about things which are Pure, Right, Excellent, Praiseworthy, Lovely, Admirable, Noble or True. How can I think on those things if they aren't in me?
It really does come back to the Word. We have to be in the Word and have the Word in us in order for our words to be God honoring. It is as simple as that.
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