Taming the tongue...

James 3:8-9
8 But nobody can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. 9 With it we bless our God and Father, and with it we curse men, who are made in the image of God. (WEB)

We may be able to control a lot of things, but one of the hardest things for us to control is our tongue. In today's Scripture reading, James tells us that we use our tongue to bring both blessings and cursings. Blessings to our heavenly Father and cursings to those who were made in His image.

My prayer today is that each one of us would know the incredible value that our Father places on every person on the planet. Each person was created in His image with the intent that mankind would all reflect His glory. Though many people reject Christ and don't get to realize their God-given destiny, we still need to be careful how we speak about those who are lost. No matter what their present spiritual condition is, they still reflect the image of the living God simply because they were created in His likeness.

The next time somebody mistreats you or cuts you off in rush hour traffic, try blessing them instead of the alternative. Perhaps if we begin to honor people simply because they were made in the image of God, they might start to look at themselves differently and open their hearts more to the good news of Jesus Christ. May we begin to look at people through the eyes of the One who knit them together in their mother's womb.

Luke 6:35-37
35 But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing back; and your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High; for he is kind toward the unthankful and evil. 36 Therefore be merciful, even as your Father is also merciful. 37 Don’t judge, and you won’t be judged. Don’t condemn, and you won’t be condemned. Set free, and you will be set free. (WEB)

Near whenever we call...

Deuteronomy 4:7
For what great nation is there, that has a god so near to them, as Yahweh our God is whenever we call on him? (WEB)

I love this description of the nearness of God that we find in the Old Testament. As the nation of Israel was God's favorite, they had the privilege of being able to call out to Him any time and He would hear them. If God was close to the Israelites way back then, how much closer is He to you and I now?

Not only is the Godhead around us, He lives within us now thanks to the New Covenant and the price that our elder brother paid for us to be born into His family. My prayer today is that you would know the nearness of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit!

The Triune God lives in you! All the time! 24/7! There is no place where you can go where He doesn't go with you. And He is always attentive to your prayers and He is cheering you on! May you be encouraged today with the thought that our God is close to us whenever we call out to Him! He is listening right now!

Ephesians 2:18-22
18 For through him we both have our access in one Spirit to the Father.19 So then you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and of the household of God, 20 being built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the chief cornerstone;21 in whom the whole building, fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord; 22 in whom you also are built together for a habitation of God in the Spirit. (WEB)

A future for the man of peace...

Psalm 37:37
Mark the perfect man, and see the upright, for there is a future for the man of peace. (WEB)

King David wrote Psalm 37, which is one of my favorite psalms! There are many precious gems that David unearths in his declaration of who God is and who we are in relation to God in this psalm. In today's Bible reading, David tells us that there is a future for the man of peace.

One of the things that makes our hearts anxious is the thought of an uncertain future. Will we have enough money? Will our health hold out? Will my job be there in 5 years? When we look towards the future, we have more questions than we have answers.

However, if we can take to heart today's promise of a guaranteed future, perhaps we will be able to breathe a little easier with the knowledge that our Father has promised us a bright future? Now you might say to yourself... "I don't feel like I am a man (or woman) of peace, so how can I know that I have a bright future?"

If that is a question you ask yourself, my encouragement would be to not look within your own ability to muster up a manufactured peace, but rather look to the Prince of Peace Himself and the promise that He has already given you in John 14:27... Peace I leave with you. My peace I give to you; not as the world gives, give I to you. Don’t let your heart be troubled, neither let it be fearful. (WEB)

My prayer today is that the peace that passes our understanding (Philippians 4:7) will guard our hearts and our minds. I pray that any fear of the future would be driven out by the love of God (1 John 4:18) so that we could boldly agree with today's Scripture reading. There is a bright future for everyone who is yoked to the Prince of Peace!

Jeremiah 29:11
For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says Yahweh, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you hope and a future. (WEB)