JANUARY 18

OUR PERSONAL PROMISES

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Malachi 3:16

“Then those who feared the Lord spoke to one another,

And the Lord listened and heard them;

So a book of remembrance was written before Him

For those who fear the Lord

And who meditate on His name.”

Colossians 3:16

“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.”

Matthew 12:33

“Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or else make the tree bad and its fruit bad; for a tree is known by its fruit.”

Ephesians 4:29

“Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers.”

Matthew 12:36-37

“But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment.  For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”

Colossians 4:6

“Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one.”

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This month we’re reading  the new devotional   “Becoming New”,  written by  Warren W. Wiersbe and compiled by his grandson.  Pastor Wiersbe was the President of Moody Bible Institute before the current President, Erwin Lutzer.  

PURE WORDS PLEASE GOD

Read Psalm 12:19-14 and James 3:1-12

The wise man said, “The Lord detests evil plans, but He delights in pure words.”  This is in Proverbs 15:26. 

The prophet said the Lord listens to what we say to one another (Malachi 3:16), a truth that ought to frighten liars and gossips.  Yet what Jesus says ought to sober us completely:  He says our words will one day be judged, for they reveal the nature of our hearts (Matthew 12:33-37).

  A word is just an utterance, but it carries tremendous power.  The words of a doctor can save a life, and the words of a jury can send a person to prison.  The right words printed in a book can inspire a person and unlock a future career.  Wise words spoken in love can heal a broken heart.  If we want to please the Lord, we must watch our words.

Let’s begin with the words we think and the images that accompany them.  Paul wrote, “Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable.  Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.” (Philippians 4:8).  Start thinking about a lie and you will give the Devil a foothold in your mind.  Impure and untrue words and deeds each begin as impure and untrue thoughts.  Negative untrue thoughts about people can result in unkind words and actions and ruin a friendship or a marriage.  Many people become paralyzed by fear of imaginary situations, which is why we must set our minds on Christ (Colossians 3:2).

Jesus tells us the words we speak come from our hearts, our inner beings (Matthew 12:34-35).  If our hearts are clean and our motives pure, our words will be clean and pure, but if we secretly harbor malice and envy, our words can wound and kill.  Contaminated words are a sign of a contaminated heart soured in a contaminated culture, which is why we must be aware of what we absorb from the world.  Additionally, the words we DON’T say can do damage, especially when we have opportunities to express gratitude, give counsel, praise achievement, or share the gospel.

When we worship the Lord, we must be careful about the words we sing, too.  Colossians 3:16 tells us that the worshipping congregation must sing only that which is Biblical.  A singer has no more right to sing a lie than a preacher has to preach a lie.  Rather, the message of Christ ought to fill our hearts; then it will flow from our mouths.

  A few verses later, Paul tells the same believers, “Let your conversation be gracious and attractive so that you will have the right response for everyone” (Colossians 4:6).  An often-overlooked element of corporate worship is how we use our words to encourage one another (Hebrews 10:25).  We glorify God when we sing truth and remind one another of the gospel.

To another church, Paul instructed, “Don’t use foul or abusive language.  Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them.” (Ephesians 4:29)  “Obscene stories, foolish talk, and coarse jokes – these are not for you.”  (Ephesians 5:4). 

Our words build our world, express our worship, and connect us to THE WORD, JESUS HIMSELF (John 1:1).  May the words of our mouths and the meditation of our hearts please the Lord today.

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