Be Careful When You Speak

While most of the time, we speak what is on our minds, some times it is better to hold our tongues, at least temporarily. If we are brought into court, we are allowed to speak only at certain times. Other times, we should not speak simply out of courtesy to someone else who is speaking. Sometimes, we are so emotional that is better that we wait and consider our words before speaking.

James 4:6,10 says, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.” When we stand in the presence of God, we can only yield to His greatness. When we understand and acknowledge our lowly status before Him, all His amazing blessings are available to us.

Memories of Him

If we haven’t seen someone in a while, our memories may become a bit fuzzy, depending on our history with this person. The image of the person may be unclear, and we may not clearly remember what they were like.

Psalm 99:1-3 says, “The LORD reigns; let the peoples tremble! He sits enthroned upon the cherubim; let the earth quake! The LORD is great in Zion; he is exalted over all the peoples. Let them praise your great and awesome name! Holy is he!” It is always good to remind ourselves who God is, frequently coming into His presence. He is holy, meaning He is pure and reigns over all authorities and people. He is enthroned in unmatched majesty.

Light and Joy

We often associate light with joy. July 4th celebrations are a classic example. We turn out by the thousands to watch the fireworks and light our own fireworks at home. All this is done to celebrate our nation’s birth. At Christmas, lights are lit nearly everywhere, offering joy to the onlookers and lighting the way to the joy of Christmas. We light candles for the cake to rejoice at another birthday. Light and joy just seem to go together.

Psalm 97:11-12 says, “Light is sown for the righteous, and joy for the upright in heart. Rejoice in the Lord, O you righteous, and give thanks to his holy name.” God’s light reveals truth and the path of righteousness. Following the God given light fulfills our hearts desire, giving us joy forever.

A Face That Heals

For many reasons, we live in amazing times. One amazing development has been the ability to frequently see friends and relatives who live far away from us. Of course, we can travel to close the distance between us, but we can also just “dial them up” and see them through Face Time, Skype, and any number of apps. Seeing their faces brings a special kind of comfort and healing to our souls.

II Chronicles 7:14 says, “if my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.” If we want to make a big impact in our community, it will require that we be humble, repent from our sins, seek God wholeheartedly, and pray. By seeking God’s face, His presence, God will forgive us and bring healing and restoration to our community.

Placing the Correct Call

When we need electrical repairs, we call a qualified electrician. When we need the kitchen sink or garbage disposal fixed, we call a certified plumber. When our car breaks down, we take it to an auto mechanic that we can trust. When we need help, we place the call to someone we can trust to make the repair that we need.

Psalm 65:5 says, “By awesome deeds you answer us with righteousness, O God of our salvation, the hope of all the ends of the earth and of the farthest sea.” Our God answers prayers, and He does so with awesome deeds, far beyond what we can expect. Among His awesome deeds is the giving salvation and hope to us through His grace, which comes to us only through the sacrifice of His Son for us on the cross.