What Did You Say?

 Matthew 12:33-37

New International Version (NIV)

³³ “Make a tree good and its fruit will be good, or make a tree bad and its fruit will be bad, for a tree is recognized by its fruit. ³⁴ You brood of vipers, how can you who are evil say anything good? For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of. ³⁵ A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him. ³⁶ But I tell you that everyone will have to give account on the day of judgment for every empty word they have spoken. ³⁷ For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned.” (http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%2012:%2033-37&version=NIV)

Those of you that have known me all my life can attest to the fact that I used to be a very shy person. As a child I didn’t want to talk to people that I did not know.  I once stayed quiet in the car for 3 hours because there was a new preacher in the car.  I had not seen my dad for a week or more because I had been at my grandparents.  When he came to pick me up there was a new man with him and I didn’t say a word until that man was out of the car.  I was shy, that is all there is to it.  Today the Lord has given me the ability to communicate with others.   Sometimes what I say is not always taken the way that I meant it which can be very frustrating to me.  Sometimes my words are twisted to the point that they are not the words that I spoke.  At those times I have been known to pray,” Lord I don’t ever want to speak again.  Lord, please don’t make me say anything I don’t want to speak.”  As you have probably guessed His answer is “no, you must speak”.   When my heart begins to pound so hard that I think it is going to come out of my chest if I don’t say something, I then will speak.  When I speak I try to think before the words come out but there have been times that I have spoken and then wondered why I said it.  I am sure we have all been there some time or another in our lives and if you haven’t, your turn is coming. 

Today this scripture had many words for thought but the words that stood out to me were the words regarding our speech.  We can really know a person by what they say.  If good comes out of their mouth or if evil comes out.  God knows the heart but the mouth is a reflection of that heart.  If we can’t find something good to say about someone then maybe we shouldn’t say anything at all.  Well, that is some times the case but it is not always the case.  If you look back at the scriptures we see that Jesus called the pharisees a “brood of vipers”, yes, Jesus has the right to judge since He is God but I believe we too need to identify those who bring evil and not peace.  We can see how people act, we can hear what they say, we can see if they are producing fruit or just making life better for themselves, you can tell who is for God and who is against God just by what they say.  That is not what I am saying but that is what the scripture is saying to me today. 

The last part of this scripture is what struck me the most today.  ³⁶ But I tell you that everyone will have to give account on the day of judgment for every empty word they have spoken. ³⁷ For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned.”  When you go into a court of law your words can be used against you.  It is no different when we go into the court of the Most High God, our words, not only in that courtroom, but every word that has ever come from our mouths will be used either for us or against us.  How does that make you feel?  It makes me want to do my best to guard my lips at all times.  To always speak the truth in love.  Not to always say what others want me to say but to say what God wants me to say.  Others may judge my words for this moment but God will judge them for all eternity.  As I read this scripture, I was reminded of other verse in the Bible that has meant so much to me.  It was a verse found in a prayer that David prayed, Psalms 141:3  Set a guard over my mouth, LORD;
keep watch over the door of my lips. (http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%20141:3&version=NIV)

As you seek Him and find Him, with your whole heart, may you speak the words that will bring glory to Him.  Ask Him to guard your mouth and watch over your lips so that He may be glorified.

Seeking Him with all my heart,

Sheila