Date: Nov 26, 2016
To: The Body of Christ
From: Mr. Miyagi
Subject: Our daily devotion
Re: The power of the tongue
Good morning brethren, today’s Scripture reading from Our Daily Bread is found in 1 Pet 3:10 AMP-
“The one who wants to enjoy life and see good days [good—whether apparent or not], Must keep his tongue free from evil and his lips from speaking guile(treachery, deceit).
Commentary:
The tongue is a small member of the body, but it can do good or evil. It can be used to bless or to curse. The tongue is difficult to tame because words stem from the heart. The Bible tells us that out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks. (Luke 6:45) That means whatever is in the heart will eventually flow out of one’s mouth. And even if a person tries to say the right things all the time to give the impression that he is righteous in the eyes of man, it is only a matter of time before the truth comes out. You can fool some people all of the time. But you can fool God none of the time. And a person’s words will give himself away sooner or later. It is important to make sure the heart is pure and in good standing with God. Therefore, daily prayer, meditation and study is of paramount importance.
Questions:
When was the last time your words got you in trouble?
Why is it so difficult for some people to speak words of blessings to others?
Why do some people go to church on Sunday and then curse their neighbors on Monday?
Proverbs 26:13-14 AMP
The lazy person [who is self-indulgent and relies on lame excuses] says, “There is a lion in the road!
A lion is in the open square [and if I go outside to work I will be killed]!”
As the door turns on its hinges,
So does the lazy person on his bed [never getting out of it].
Commentary:
“There is a lion in the road” are words of deceit. The slothful man is always making excuses. He will say anything to get away from his responsibilities. By the words people say, one can discern where they are at. Laziness causes one to be careless in his words. It takes work to think before speaking. For some, that is too much effort.
So we are to love life and see good days. For a person to love life and see good days, he must turn away from evil words and actions and pursue peace. In doing so, he will receive God’s favor and blessings. His help is in grace and staying connected with God. A person who sins breaks connection with God when he deliberately chooses evil. So if we love life and want to see good days, we must watch our words and action and be diligent, not slothful. The Lord is against those who do evil. One must hate evil, do good and seek peace. Being lazy is evil. When a person is lazy, he doesn’t love life, always making excuses. There is no life in making excuses. It indicates death in spirit. We have one life. We should make the best of it. Being diligent in life is making the best of life. Being lazy is the opposite…making the worst out of life because it is a result of indifference, and apathy.
The human reasoning comes from pride. Many people rationalize and form values through human reasoning and justify their actions by making excuses. God’s word is beyond that. And will produced revelation knowledge about “the lion in the road.” A person’s command of the Word and by the help of the Holy Spirit will be able to translate and transcend “the lion in the road” and be able to see the truth of the matter. The heart must be conditioned and nurtured to be sensitive to the Word and the Holy Spirit. The heart is wicked and deceitful that by one’s faulty beliefs, prejudice, and human values, he is quick to judge and raise up his own standards to defend his actions and thinking. So what would be the opposite of “a lion in the road?”
If a person is operating from human reasoning, he will see that lion in the road and come up with reasons not to move forward, but one who is operating by the word of God and the Holy Spirit, will see virtue in that situation, be able to translate and transcend it into the kingdom realm. The righteous will inherit the land and dwell in it forever. He will overcome “the lion in the road” which is excuses, fears of the unknown, unsolvable problems, and prejudice. The righteous man will see “the lion in the road”, confront it, overcome it and inherit the land, which is the blessings. If a person cannot see beyond “the lion in the road” he will miss the blessings. With Christ, it can be overcome. “Lions” are created thoughts. They are imaginations and are not real. We seek God when we see “lions” and the Word of God and the Holy Spirit will show us how to address these “lions”. Those in Christ have this imputed righteousness that is Jesus Christ in their hearts. Their is no fear, no excuses but the power of Christ in them to address these “lions.” We speak to these “lions” by faith. We affirm, declare and proclaim the power of God. How can a lion in the road neutralize a man in Christ? He who has Christ in him has the power of God to address these problems. It does not matter what “lion” is in front of him.
Are there some “lions” in your life that need to be dealt with or do you allow them to remain and become shackles to prevent you from becoming all that you are meant to be? We are to take headships over “lions” in our lives to move from slothful grace and mercy to a place of glory to glory. The wimps are known by their actions and words. They are quick to give an answer, to make excuses for inactivity. The man in Christ will rise up and take headship and have dominions over these lions. There is no vocabulary of “cannot” with God. With God, all things are possible.
Who is the man who desires life and abundant life? Is that the man who sees only “lions in the road?” Do we allow evil to overcome us or do we rise up in the occasion to overcome it and taste and see the goodness of the Lord? If we have this trust in the Lord, we can see and taste that the Lord is good. As spies were sent out, they came back with negative reports. But two came back reporting the promises of God. The others only saw “lions” and giants. They could not see beyond that. Pick and choose your associates. Separate yourself from these types of people who can only see “LIons” but not the promises of God. They have little or no faith.
IN conclusion, for one to love life and see good days, he must speak words of life and words of faith to overcome and inherit the blessings. If one speak the promises of God, affirming them by faith in Christ Jesus, he will have victory over every “lion on the road.” So be careful what you speak. You will either have victory by affirming your faith in Jesus Christ or be defeated by the evil one. A person who makes excuses only hates life and is already defeated because he is speaking death. He is a loser and will see many bad days. So what kind of life do you want? A victorious life in Christ or a defeated one from the evil one.
Please share any thoughts and impressions for the edification of the Body of Christ.
Mr. Miyagi
