Matthew 15:15-20
New International Version 1984 (NIV1984)
15 Peter
said, “Explain the parable to us.”
16 “Are
you still so dull?” Jesus
asked them. 17 “Don’t you see that whatever enters the mouth goes into the
stomach and then out of the body? 18 But the things that come out of the mouth
come from the heart, and these make a man ‘unclean.’ 19 For
out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality,
theft, false testimony, slander. 20 These are what make a man ‘unclean’; but eating
with unwashed hands does not make him ‘unclean.’”
I
am sure most of us have heard the phrase, “Wash your hands, dinner is ready”. I know I heard that plenty of times as a
child from my mother. Washing hands is a
good practice but to make a big deal about it, as the pharisees did, was not
nearly as important as the words that came out of their mouths.
If
you read my previous post you may recall that it talked about listening. God calls us to listen to His Word which is
listening to Him. He also calls us to
listen to others because what comes out of their mouths is a reflection of
their heart. Let’s look at some verses
on the words:
Proverbs 12:18
New International Version 1984 (NIV1984)
18 Reckless
words pierce like a sword, but
the tongue of the wise brings healing.
Proverbs 12:25
New International Version 1984 (NIV1984)
25 An anxious heart weighs a man down, but a kind word cheers him up.
Proverbs 15:1
New International Version 1984 (NIV1984)
1 A gentle answer turns away wrath, but
a harsh word stirs up anger.
Proverbs 4:23-24
New International
Version 1984 (NIV1984)
23 Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.
24 Put away perversity from your mouth; keep corrupt talk far from your lips.
23 Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.
24 Put away perversity from your mouth; keep corrupt talk far from your lips.
Proverbs 21:23
New International Version 1984 (NIV1984)
23 He who guards his mouth and his tongue keeps himself from calamity.
Psalm 34:12-13
New International
Version 1984 (NIV1984)
12 Whoever of you
loves life and desires to see many good days, 13 keep your tongue from
evil and your lips from speaking lies.
And
the list goes on. Words that we speak
need to bring healing, they need to cheer those around us, they need to calm calamity,
they need to be wholesome, and they should have no reflection of evil.
I
would imagine that most of us have said words that have pierced the heart,
words that we would like to take back but can’t. When we are in the Word of God, the words
that come out of our mouths will reflect that.
We can’t help but have wholesome words when we commune with God. Remember though, that Jesus words were not
always pleasant to those who thought they were righteous, those who thought
they had all the answers. As we saw in Matthew
15:12, 12 Then the disciples came to him and asked,
“Do you know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this?”. (http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%2015:12&version=NIV1984) However, if
they would have heeded His words rather than been offended by them, they would
have found healing.
Where
are you at today, are you one needing to heed the Words of God? Are you listening to His call? Are you one that has wholesome words coming
from your mouth? Do your words bring
healing or are they harmful?
How
are you receiving the words you hear? Do
you examine the words through the eyes of the Lord or do you examine them with
your own wishes and desires? Are you
twisting someone’s words to justify your own thoughts and actions? Or are you listening for what the Lord wants
you to hear and learn from the words spoken by others?
My
prayer is this
Psalm 141:3-4
New International Version 1984 (NIV1984)
3 Set a guard over my mouth, O LORD; keep watch over the door of my
lips.
4 Let not my heart be drawn to what is evil, to take part in wicked deeds with men who are evildoers;
let me not eat of their delicacies. (http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%20141:%203%20-4&version=NIV1984)
4 Let not my heart be drawn to what is evil, to take part in wicked deeds with men who are evildoers;
let me not eat of their delicacies. (http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%20141:%203%20-4&version=NIV1984)
As you seek Him and find
Him, may you be drawn to His Words. And
may your words be a reflection of His.
Think before you speak, would you say these words if you were standing
at the throne of Grace?
Seeking Him with all my
heart,
Sheila
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