Bible League: Living His Word "'What people say with their mouths comes from what fills their hearts.'"— Luke 6:45 ERV The world accuses Christians of saying things that upset people. They accuse us of being controversial and intolerant. Above all, they accuse us of trying to shove our religion down people's throats. They say these and many other things like them, because they don't want their control of culture or their perspective on life to be challenged. From their point of view, it would be best if Christians simply kept their mouths shut. They'll tolerate us, at least most of the time, but only if we keep our religion squarely within the confines of our private lives and our churches. There is, however, a fact of life that sabotages the world's agenda in this regard. The problem is stated in our verse for today. What people say with their mouths comes from what fills their hearts. If someone's heart is full of the evil of the world, then evil will come out of his mouth. If someone's heart, in contrast, is full of the goodness of the Holy Spirit, then good will come out of her mouth. You can try to stifle what is in the heart; but sooner or later, the contents of the heart will overflow and escape through the mouth. As Christians, then, we will speak from the content of our hearts. Indeed, it would be a sin to follow the demand of the world and try to keep it in. It would be a sin to stifle the Spirit inside of us. That's why Mordecai told Esther that she could not keep silent. When the people of God were threatened by Haman, Mordecai told her to speak out on behalf of them, even though it was very dangerous for her to do so (Esther 4:12-14). Actually, we should not be surprised that the world wants us to keep silent, and we should not be surprised that they are ready with threats and violence. The mouth, after all, can speak words that bring life or death (Proverbs 18:21). It follows then that the mouth of a Christian can be an existential threat to the world. Let it be. Let the words of our mouths bring down the sin and evil of the world. Bible in a Year Old Testament ReadingGenesis 3, 4, 5 Genesis 3 -- Adam and Eve's sin and expulsion from the Garden NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB Genesis 4 -- Cain kills Abel; his curse and descendants NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB Genesis 5 -- Descendants from Adam to Noah NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB New Testament Reading Matthew 2 Matthew 2 -- Visit of the Magi; Escape to Egypt; Slaughter of Infants; Return to Nazareth NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB Reading Plan Courtesy of Christian Classics Etherial Library. Tyndale Life Application Daily Devotion God made all sorts of wild animals, livestock, and small animals, each able to produce offspring of the same kind. And God saw that it was good.Insight God saw that his work was good. People sometimes feel guilty for having a good time or for feeling good about an accomplishment. This need not be so. Just as God felt good about his work, we can be pleased with ours. However, we should not feel good about our work if God would not be pleased with it. Challenge What are you doing that pleases both you and God? Morning and Evening by Spurgeon Isaiah 41:1 Let the people renew their strength.All things on earth need to be renewed. No created thing continueth by itself. "Thou renewest the face of the year," was the Psalmist's utterance. Even the trees, which wear not themselves with care, nor shorten their lives with labor, must drink of the rain of heaven and suck from the hidden treasures of the soil. The cedars of Lebanon, which God has planted, only live because day by day they are full of sap fresh drawn from the earth. Neither can man's life be sustained without renewal from God. As it is necessary to repair the waste of the body by the frequent meal, so we must repair the waste of the soul by feeding upon the Book of God, or by listening to the preached Word, or by the soul-fattening table of the ordinances. How depressed are our graces when means are neglected! What poor starvelings some saints are who live without the diligent use of the Word of God and secret prayer! If our piety can live without God it is not of divine creating; it is but a dream; for if God had begotten it, it would wait upon him as the flowers wait upon the dew. Without constant restoration we are not ready for the perpetual assaults of hell, or the stern afflictions of heaven, or even for the strifes within. When the whirlwind shall be loosed, woe to the tree that hath not sucked up fresh sap, and grasped the rock with many intertwisted roots. When tempests arise, woe to the mariners that have not strengthened their mast, nor cast their anchor, nor sought the haven. If we suffer the good to grow weaker, the evil will surely gather strength and struggle desperately for the mastery over us; and so, perhaps, a painful desolation, and a lamentable disgrace may follow. Let us draw near to the footstool of divine mercy in humble entreaty, and we shall realize the fulfilment of the promise, "They that wait on the Lord shall renew their strength." Daily Light on the Daily Path Psalm 141:2 May my prayer be counted as incense before You; The lifting up of my hands as the evening offering.Exodus 30:1,6-8 "Moreover, you shall make an altar as a place for burning incense; you shall make it of acacia wood. • "You shall put this altar in front of the veil that is near the ark of the testimony, in front of the mercy seat that is over the ark of the testimony, where I will meet with you. • "Aaron shall burn fragrant incense on it; he shall burn it every morning when he trims the lamps. • "When Aaron trims the lamps at twilight, he shall burn incense. There shall be perpetual incense before the LORD throughout your generations. Hebrews 7:25 Therefore He is able also to save forever those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them. Revelation 8:4 And the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, went up before God out of the angel's hand. 1 Peter 2:5 you also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 1 Thessalonians 5:17 pray without ceasing; New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. For Permission to Quote Information visit http://www.lockman.org. |
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