Tag: life and death
Week 14–Day 1– A Fountain of Life?
Scripture reading for March 30: Proverbs 10:11-13 “The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life, but the mouth of the wicked conceals violence. Hatred stirs up strife, but love covers all offences. On the lips of him who has understanding, wisdom is found, but a rod is for the back of him who lacks sense.”
Proverbs 18:21 “Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruits.”
Matthew 12:34-35 “For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. The good person out of his good treasure brings forth good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure brings forth evil.”
For years I read a chapter of proverbs each day as a spiritual discipline to learn wisdom. Wisdom is the ability to take knowledge and apply it to living successfully. God gave wisdom to Solomon because he asked Him for it. This wisdom was written down to pass on to Solomon’s sons and God’s people. We would do well to listen and learn these simple statements and apply them to our daily lives.
Man’s mouth and the tongue are a source of either blessing or trouble. Solomon taught that the mouth of a righteous person was a fountain of life and a source of wisdom for sound and gracious living. Love in the heart and mouth would cover offenses. But the mouth of evil people, on the other hand, would stir up violence, hatred and strife. Truly life and death were found in the power of the tongue.
Jesus taught that from the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks. Whatever your heart is filled with spills out of your mouth. The human heart contains a treasure–either of good or evil. First responders must watch their mouths and according to these words of wisdom, they must guard their heart for preserving good treasure. Part of our response to the needs of hurting people is using life-giving words and sharing wisdom. What treasure is flowing from your heart?
Prayer: Father God, thank You for revealing to us these truths about our mouths and the power we have to speak life or death to those You send us to. Fill my heart with Your love and wisdom and help me to guard it as treasure. Amen.
Speaking life to dry bones!
Scripture reading for August 27: Ezekiel 37-39
God used words to bring about creation out of nothing. He tells us that our words also have power, the power of life or death! God showed Ezekiel a valley full of very dry human bones. God asked Ezekiel if he thought that all the scattered and dry human bones could live again. Ezekiel cautiously answered: “O Sovereign Lord, You alone know.” (Ezekiel 37:3) Ezekiel understood that with God, all things are possible and we must make room for every possibility!
The Lord told Ezekiel: “Prophesy to these bones and say to them, ‘Dry bones, hear the Word of the Lord! This is what the Sovereign Lord says to these bones: I will make breath enter you, and you will come to life. I will attach tendons to you and make flesh come upon you and cover you with skin. I will put breath in you, and you will come to life. Then you will know that I am the Lord.'” (Ezekiel 37:4-6) When Ezekiel began to prophesy, there was a noise and rattling sound as the bones came together. Then the tendons and flesh appeared and skin covered them. He was told to prophesy to the breath from the four winds to come and enter the slain. As he spoke, these newly formed bodies came to life and stood up on their feet.
What was the meaning and purpose of this vision to those people and for us today? First, God’s message of hope and restoration was given to the people of that day who were scattered in foreign lands because of their sins and the judgment of God upon them. God was showing His ability and plan to restore them. It would not be by their own strength, because dry bones have no power. It would be according to God’s powerful Word and the power of the Holy Spirit that it would be accomplished.
Second, as we look at this passage today, we can see the fulfilment of God’s promise. God restored His people to the land and rebuilt the temple. Jesus Christ, the Messiah, came to that temple and offered Himself to restore all of humanity. We have resurrection life in us by the Holy Spirit and will one day have a resurrection body when Christ returns. When we confess the Lordship of Jesus Christ with our mouth and believe in our heart that God raised Him from the dead, we are saved! (Romans 10:9-10) Confess your faith and thank God for His gift of eternal life! What an awesome God we serve!
Easiest choice ever offered?
Scripture Reading for February 28: Deuteronomy 27-30
“This day I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live and that you may love the Lord Your God, listen to His voice, and hold fast to Him. For the Lord is your life, and He will give you many years in the land he swore to give to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.” (Deuteronomy 30:19-20)
This verse has always baffled me. God so clearly spelled out His desire for His people’s blessing and life. He had redeemed them and shown them His love by the signs and wonders and continuous provisions. Their clothes and shoes had not worn out. They ate the manna each day for forty years and had meat too. They drank the water from the rock. (Deuteronomy 29:2-6) Their enemies had been defeated and God had cared for them. (Deuteronomy 29:7-8) Moses asked them to make a choice. Do they want “life and blessing”? Or would they prefer “death and curses”? He even gave them the answer: “Choose life!”
But we often think that God’s way is too narrow and too restrictive. It’s too difficult to try! Moses told the people it wasn’t too hard for them (Deuteronomy 30:11-14) and the Apostle Paul quoted him in Romans:10:6-12. It is by faith in Jesus Christ that we can be saved from the curses of the Law and the penalty of death. It is our confession of faith in Jesus Christ’s work for us on the cross that saves us.
“But what does it say? “The word is near you: it is in your mouth and in your heart”, that is the word of faith we are proclaiming: That if you confess with your mouth that “Jesus is Lord” and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” For it is with your heart you believe and are justified, and with your mouth you confess and are saved.” Romans 10:8-10
Have you made excuses for not making the choice of ‘life and blessing’ in Jesus? What is hindering you today from applying your faith to make a choice for life? Jesus is the only ‘Way’ and ‘Life!’ (John 14:6)
Fulfilled prophesy in pouring out the Spirit!
Scripture reading for January 25th: Acts 2, Psalm 18, Proverbs 18
Acts 2:14-18 “But Peter, standing with the eleven, lifted up his voice and addressed them, “Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and give ear to my words. For these people are not drunk, as you suppose, since it is only the third hour of the day. But this was what was uttered through the prophet Joel: “‘And in the last days it shall be, God declares, that I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams; even on My male servants and female servants in those days I will our out My Spirit and they shall prophesy.”
God speaks to His people and His Word never returns void. As the Jews who were present on this first Pentecost listened to the people who had received the gift of the Holy Spirit speak in other tongues, they assumed, wrongly, that they were drunk with wine. But Peter, now bold with the Holy Spirit, stands to explain and preach the Gospel to all who were present. He pointed them to Scripture in the Book of Joel. Joel had, under the influence of the Holy Spirit, foretold how in the last days God would ‘pour out’ the Holy Spirit on all flesh. Men and women, young and old, servants and slaves; all would have access and this would result in prophesy and the gift of prayer and worship in tongues. God was empowering His people to speak His Gospel Good News to the whole world.
Psalm 18:31-32 “For who is God, but the Lord? And who is a Rock, except our God?–the God Who equipped me with strength and made my way blameless.”
Prayer: Father God, thank Your for Your gift to those who trust in Jesus of the Holy Spirit. Thank You for pouring it out generously on all those who believe, great or small, man or woman, young or old. Use me today prophetically, to speak in power Your Words of Scripture and tell forth the Good News that will bring eternal life to those who hear and receive. Let the ‘bubbling brook’ of the Holy Spirit flow in me.
Proverbs 18:4 “The words of a man’s mouth are deep waters; the fountain of wisdom is a bubbling brook.” Proverbs 18:21 “Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruits.”
All will give account!
Scripture reading for January 18th: Matthew 12
Key Scriptures: Matthew 12:36-37 “But I tell you that men will have to give account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken. For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned.”
Words can be spoken easily and carelessly. Words are powerful and penetrate deeply into the souls and hearts of those who receive them. Words can give life and hope or words can condemn and destroy. Words set the course of our lives and the wise are careful to use words because they understand that they must answer to God!
Jesus warned His disciples about their careless use of words. He told us all that we will one day give an account for “every careless word” we have spoken! This should give us cause to stop and think before we speak! James, Jesus’ half brother, tells us, “be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger”. (James 1:19) Our words will either bring us reward before the Lord’s judgment seat or cause us to be condemned and suffer great loss!
Observations for over-comers: God gave us two ears and one mouth so we should use each in proportion! “The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit.” Proverbs 18:21
The easiest choice ever given?
Scripture Reading for February 28: Deuteronomy 27-30
“This day I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live and that you may love the Lord Your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to Him. For the Lord is your life, and He will give you many years in the land he swore to give to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.” (Deuteronomy 30:19-20)
This verse has always baffled me. God so clearly spelled out His desire for His people’s blessing and life. He had redeemed them and shown them His love by the signs and wonders and continuous provisions. Their clothes and shoes had not worn out. They ate the manna each day for forty years and had meat too. They drank the water from the rock. (Deuteronomy 29:2-6) Their enemies had been defeated and God had cared for them. (Deuteronomy 29:7-8) Moses asks them to make a choice. Do they want “life and blessing”? Or would they prefer “death and curses”? He even gave them the answer if they were having trouble figuring out the right choice: “choose life”! Yet they struggled with this choice!
There is something about sinful human nature that is blind to simple truth. We are taken captive by the lies of the flesh that tell us that our own way is the best. God’s way is too narrow and life like He wants for us is too restrictive. It’s too difficult to try! (Deuteronomy 30:11-14) We need to take a moment and reflect on this choice of Moses that represents the Gospel message of today! We have this simple choice and the encouragement to choose life in Jesus Christ! (John 14:6) Have we chosen correctly?
Moses told the people it wasn’t too hard for them (Deuteronomy 30:11-14) and the Apostle Paul quoted him in Romans:10:6-12. It is by faith in Jesus Christ that we can be saved from the curses of the Law and the penalty of death. It is our confession of faith in Jesus Christ’s work for us on the cross that saves us. The word is near us, in our heart and in our mouth. We must believe in our heart that Christ died for us and was raised from the dead. We must confess with our mouth that Jesus is Lord. Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved!
“But what does it say? “The word is near you: it is in your mouth and in your heart”, that is the word of faith we are proclaiming: That if you confess with your mouth that “Jesus is Lord” and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” For it is with your heart you believe and are justified, and with your mouth you confess and are saved.” Romans 10:8-10