Encouragement Scripture "Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear." Ephesians 4:29 (ESV) Observation Have you ever heard what you just said to someone and cringed realizing that it was condemning, degrading, or insulting, whether intentional or not? Do you quickly apologize or do you quietly let it slide by hoping they do not take it to heart? Paul exhorts us to take control of what issues from our mouths and make sure that we have encouragement and kindness to share with those around. This can be a real effort today with the influence of TV, Movies and Music much of which is belittling and disrespectful. How often do we see youth say "Hi" to each other by giving an unpleasant gesture, what ever happened to a wave? Application If conversation were a bicycle I think I would be constantly back-peddling, going nowhere but expending an awful lot of energy and always in danger of falling off. I certainly do not intentionally go out to offend folk but it happens from time to time and it seems to be the time a lot. Some things are better left inside my brain at the thought stage without ever being vocalized, but it just sounded so good in there. I need to try harder to arrest those gems and perhaps give a compliment instead. Let see how that goes for a bit. Prayer Almighty God, Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, He which is, and which was, and which is to come. God we make our way to Your throne of grace this day and we entrust our lives to You afresh. Be our beginning. Be our end. Be our purpose, our energy, our action. Lord we desire to be ever more fully Your people in this world, as we seek to live the life of heaven on earth. Inspire our prayers this day, use us to answer them, be at work in us to fulfill them. So do we pray this day, dear God, for those who do not share our view of heaven, living in this world without You, and thus without hope and without joy. For those whose joy has been robbed through broken relationships, through failure, and through misplaced trust. Grant them, O God, a glimpse of heaven, and an invitation to joy. For those whose hope has been robbed by forces beyond their control, through trials and tribulations; through their situations and circumstances. Lord grant them a foretaste of true justice, and a reason to hope in You. In the matchless name of Jesus the Christ, we do pray and declare it all. Amen!!!
Posted on: Wed, 31 Jul 2013 10:36:35 +0000