Those Words!

Words. They can sure give us TROUBLE. There are occasions when people end up having to eat their words. Sometimes individuals have statements they have made in the past come back to haunt them. There are also occasions when someone is told, “Take back those words.” Have we been there? Perhaps we at times have wished we had seasoned our speech with salt ( Colossians 4:6) since we found ourselves having to eat our words. We may have also experienced the regret of having said something that came back to us years later or spoke words in anger and haste of which we really wished we could have immediately taken them back. James declared that anyone who does not stumble in what he says is a perfect man. ( James 3:2) If only our tongue were not in such a slippery place.

I wish I could offer some advice that would eliminate completely such slips of the tongue from ever happening again. Though patience with others and constantly being on guard may reduce the number of incidences and keep us out of TROUBLE, we are not always perfect in what we say. With God, however, that is not the case. God has never spoken rashly. What He has declared (whether it be a promise or a warning) has been spoken just as it should be. He is not one to misspeak. God has never been guilty of a slip of the tongue. That is why the world needs to learn to pay attention to what He has said. Though we as humans may spend much time involved in idle chit chat, that is not the way of God. “Every Word of God proves true” ( Proverbs 30:5a ESV) and shall continue to do so to the end. To that end what is utmost to be paid attention to?

Through Isaiah, God stated…
“(22) Turn to me and be saved, all the ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other. (23) By myself I have sworn; FROM MY MOUTH has gone out in righteousness A WORD THAT SHALL NOT RETURN: ‘To me EVERY KNEE SHALL BOW, EVERY TONGUE SHALL SWEAR ALLEGIANCE.’” ( Isaiah 45:22-23 ESV)

A time will come when the authority of God and His Word will be acknowledged by all. This is what God has declared. These are not words He will be taking back. Yet these very words may someday come back to haunt those who refuse to believe them now. Though we may find ourselves in TROUBLE when we have misspoken, the REAL TROUBLE comes when God is not taken at His Word. May we use our tongue (and encourage others to do the same) to continually declare our allegiance to God now so that we are prepared for the end to which God has spoken.

Have a great day ACCEPTING GOD’S RIGHTEOUS WORD!
Carl

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