The Word For Today

Note what the Bible says about an uncontrolled tongue: 'Sometimes it praises...and sometimes it curses...And so blessing and cursing come pouring out of the same mouth. Surely, my brothers and sisters, this is not right! Does a spring of water bubble out with both fresh water and bitter water? Does a fig tree produce olives, or a grapevine produce figs' (James 3:9-12 NLT)?

Native American Indians warned about trusting a person with 'a forked tongue'. They'll say one thing at one time in one place and the opposite thing at another time in another place. The Bible says, 'This is not right' (James 3:10 NLT)! We deceive ourselves if we think we can go through life speaking with a forked tongue. Our words are a barometer of what's really in our hearts. Hence Solomon wrote: 'Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life' (Proverbs 4:23 NLT). Sometimes a doctor will ask you to stick out your tongue during an examination. Why? Because internal problems can often be identified by the film or coating on the tongue. Now a competent physician wouldn't just clean off your tongue and send you home. No, they would determine the source of your problem and then treat it.

A heart that's surrendered to God produces a tongue that's under the control of his Holy Spirit. Again Solomon weighed in: 'Words from the mouth of the wise are gracious, but fools are consumed by their own lips' (Ecclesiastes 10:12 NIV).

Note what the Bible says about an uncontrolled tongue: 'Sometimes it praises...and sometimes it curses...And so blessing and cursing come pouring out of the same mouth. Surely, my brothers and sisters, this is not right! Does a spring of water bubble out with both fresh water and bitter water? Does a fig tree produce olives, or a grapevine produce figs' (James 3:9-12 NLT)?

Native American Indians warned about trusting a person with 'a forked tongue'. They'll say one thing at one time in one place and the opposite thing at another time in another place. The Bible says, 'This is not right' (James 3:10 NLT)! We deceive ourselves if we think we can go through life speaking with a forked tongue. Our words are a barometer of what's really in our hearts. Hence Solomon wrote: 'Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life' (Proverbs 4:23 NLT). Sometimes a doctor will ask you to stick out your tongue during an examination. Why? Because internal problems can often be identified by the film or coating on the tongue. Now a competent physician wouldn't just clean off your tongue and send you home. No, they would determine the source of your problem and then treat it.

A heart that's surrendered to God produces a tongue that's under the control of his Holy Spirit. Again Solomon weighed in: 'Words from the mouth of the wise are gracious, but fools are consumed by their own lips' (Ecclesiastes 10:12 NIV).

In Haggai chapter one, we see a group of people whom God had told eighteen years previously to rebuild his house. They had not obeyed him, yet still didn't understand why their lives were a mess. They wondered why God was not blessing them. So he said to them: 'Is it time for you yourselves to dwell in your panelled houses, and this temple to lie in ruins?...Consider your ways! You have sown much, and bring in little; you eat, but do not have enough; you drink, but you are not filled...you clothe yourselves, but no one is warm; and he who earns wages, earns wages to put into a bag with holes....Go up to the mountains and bring wood and build the temple, that I may take pleasure in it and be glorified' (Haggai 1:4-8 NKJV).

When God says, 'Consider your ways', he's asking you to stop and examine your life. If you're not satisfied with the way things are going, is it because you have not done what he's told you to do? James wrote: 'Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning' (James 1:17 NKJV). The words 'no variation or shadow of turning' mean that God is intrinsically good, and he longs to shower your life with his goodness. But to experience it, you must walk in obedience. 'No good thing will he withhold from those who walk uprightly' (Psalm 84:11 NKJV).

Obedience is your key to victory and blessing.

In Haggai chapter one, we see a group of people whom God had told eighteen years previously to rebuild his house. They had not obeyed him, yet still didn't understand why their lives were a mess. They wondered why God was not blessing them. So he said to them: 'Is it time for you yourselves to dwell in your panelled houses, and this temple to lie in ruins?...Consider your ways! You have sown much, and bring in little; you eat, but do not have enough; you drink, but you are not filled...you clothe yourselves, but no one is warm; and he who earns wages, earns wages to put into a bag with holes....Go up to the mountains and bring wood and build the temple, that I may take pleasure in it and be glorified' (Haggai 1:4-8 NKJV).

When God says, 'Consider your ways', he's asking you to stop and examine your life. If you're not satisfied with the way things are going, is it because you have not done what he's told you to do? James wrote: 'Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning' (James 1:17 NKJV). The words 'no variation or shadow of turning' mean that God is intrinsically good, and he longs to shower your life with his goodness. But to experience it, you must walk in obedience. 'No good thing will he withhold from those who walk uprightly' (Psalm 84:11 NKJV).

Obedience is your key to victory and blessing.

Three young men were each given three kernels of corn by a wise old sage. He told them to go out into the world and use the corn to bring themselves good fortune. The first young man put his three kernels of corn into a bowl of soup and ate them. The second thought, 'I can do better than that,' and he planted his three kernels of corn. Within a few months, he had three stalks of corn. He took the ears of corn from the stalks, boiled them, and had enough corn to eat for three meals. The third man said to himself, 'I can do better than that!' He also planted three kernels of corn. But when his three stalks of corn produced, he stripped one of the ears and replanted all of the seeds in it, gave the second ear of corn to a sweet maiden, and ate the third. His one full ear's worth of replanted corn kernels gave him 200 stalks of corn! And the kernels of these he continued to replant, setting aside only a bare minimum to eat. He eventually planted a hundred acres of corn. With his fortune, he not only won the hand of the sweet maiden, but also purchased the land owned by the sweet maiden's father. And he never hungered again.

There's an important scriptural principle here. To whom does God supply seed? Sowers. When does God multiply seed? When it is sown into good ground to accomplish good things. So be a sower.

Three young men were each given three kernels of corn by a wise old sage. He told them to go out into the world and use the corn to bring themselves good fortune. The first young man put his three kernels of corn into a bowl of soup and ate them. The second thought, 'I can do better than that,' and he planted his three kernels of corn. Within a few months, he had three stalks of corn. He took the ears of corn from the stalks, boiled them, and had enough corn to eat for three meals. The third man said to himself, 'I can do better than that!' He also planted three kernels of corn. But when his three stalks of corn produced, he stripped one of the ears and replanted all of the seeds in it, gave the second ear of corn to a sweet maiden, and ate the third. His one full ear's worth of replanted corn kernels gave him 200 stalks of corn! And the kernels of these he continued to replant, setting aside only a bare minimum to eat. He eventually planted a hundred acres of corn. With his fortune, he not only won the hand of the sweet maiden, but also purchased the land owned by the sweet maiden's father. And he never hungered again.

There's an important scriptural principle here. To whom does God supply seed? Sowers. When does God multiply seed? When it is sown into good ground to accomplish good things. So be a sower.