The words that we speak to ourselves and others have emotional, physical and spiritual implications. The “tongue” is used throughout Scripture in both literal and metaphorical ways, especially in Psalms, Proverbs, and James. The tongue is a “small part of the body” (James 3:5), yet Proverbs 18:21 says it “has the power of life and death.” This holds true whether we’re speaking of spiritual, physical, or emotional “life and death.”

Encouragement often comes through spoken words. So does discouragement. Proverbs 12:18 says, “Reckless words pierce like a sword.” Emotional wounds cut deep so what we say can have a profound effect on others both postive and negative.

Physically, a judge or jury, by simply saying a word, can cause a person to be killed or to live. Words often save lives: a doctor advises surgery, a weatherman issues a tornado warning, a counselor gives hope to a suicidal person. Additionally, murders are often initiated because of arguments or verbal confrontations. Think about it, in the sense of causing adverse action, the tongue does indeed have the power of life and death.

Lastly, from a spiritual implication standpoint Jesus said that “the good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him” (Matthew 12:35). Isaiah places words on par with actions for displaying a sinful heart (Isaiah 59:2-3). “Men will have to give account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken” (Matthew 12:36). Let me be clear, in our own strength we are utterly unable to “tame the tongue” because “it is a restless evil, full of deadly poison” (James 3:8). However, a tongue under control is a mark of the Spirit’s power. Apart from accepting Jesus’ atonement on the cross (salvation), we will be judged according to our words: “For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned” (Matthew 12:37).

At the end of the day, we are commanded to control and tame the monster behind our ivory bars [tongue]. We are instructed to “keep [it] from evil and from speaking lies” (Psalm 34:13). This is includes ourselves, others, and obviously God. My brothers and sisters, our speech should consistently honor the Lord: with the tongue “we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God’s likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers [sisters], this should not be” (James 3:9-10).

So the real question of the day is are you going to speak life…..or death? I pray we all choose the former and not the latter!

#BeStrong

#TGBTG

#NAP

#SpeakLife

Even when our circumstances look hopeless, in Romans 12:12 God calls us to,” be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, and faithful in prayer.”

Paul’s charge to be “rejoicing (joyful) in hope” refers to possessing a celebratory confidence in an expectation being fulfilled. Such was the experience of Abraham: “Even when there was no reason for hope, Abraham kept hoping—believing that he would become the father of many nations” (Romans 4:18, NLT). Abraham looked forward with joyful expectancy to the fulfillment of God’s promise. King David also rejoiced in hope, steadfastly anticipating the Lord’s salvation: “I keep my eyes always on the LORD. With Him at my right hand, I will not be shaken. Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will rest secure, because you will not abandon me to the realm of the dead, nor will you let Your faithful one see decay” (Psalm 16:8–10).

Additionally, Paul linked the experience of rejoicing in hope to “groaning as in the pains of childbirth” (Romans 8:22, NLT). An expectant mother endures the agonies of labor, but not without the joyous expectation that, after her travail, she will hold her precious baby in her arms. We “groan, even though we have the Holy Spirit within us as a forshadow of future glory, for we long for our bodies to be released from sin and suffering. We, too, wait with eager hope for the day when God will give us our full rights as His undeserving adopted children, including the new bodies He has promised us. We were given this hope when we were saved. Romans 8:23-25 put it this way, “If we already have something, we don’t need to hope for it. But if we look forward to something we don’t yet have, we must wait patiently and confidently.” At the end of the day the Bible encourages us to rejoice in the Lord always (Philippians 4:4; 1 Thessalonians 5:16; 2 Corinthians 13:11), this is applicable to promises He has in stored for us on earth and the promises He has in stored for us in heaven.

Praise and glory be to God my brothers and sisters; we can rejoice in hope as we read Scriptures, which “give us hope and encouragement as we wait patiently for God’s promises to be fulfilled” (Romans 15:4, NLT). We can look forward “with hope to that wonderful day when the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, will be revealed” (Titus 2:13, NLT).

#BeStrong

#TGBTG

#NAP

#RejoiceInHope

We all get caught up in our feelings and if you don’t please drop your secret in the comment section. When we get caught up in our emotions it’s difficult to see the road in front of us. In 2 Corinthians 5:7 the apostle Paul says, “We live by faith, not by sight.”

In other words, Paul is really saying that we are not called to walk by feelings (emotions), we are called to walk by faith.

Unfortunately, it’s very common to think that, as inspiring as the phrase sounds, walking by faith would make a person unintelligent, sheltered, and aloof. However, the truth walking by faith means being perceptive, resilient, and engaged.

On the face of it, to “walk by faith, not sight” sounds fairly unintelligent. It sounds like you’re ignoring what you can see right in front of you and trying to force yourself to believe something that probably isn’t true. In most cases when you mix in false emotions with this thought process typically the outcome is not good.

Yet far from being merely an emotional psych up, faith throughout the Bible is connected to serious-minded confidence (“Now faith is confidence in what we hope for,” Heb. 11:1, NIV) and increased knowledge (e.g., Rom. 14:1-2). As we zoom out and look at the context of Paul’s “Walk by faith, not sight” verse (2 Cor. 5:7), we see that Christian faith is based on beliefs of which “we are convinced” (2 Cor. 5:14, NIV). The verse before and the verse after 5:7 each say that “we are confident.” This is because Christian faith leads to greater bedrock confidence in the living God—and not too easily evaporated elation (excitement) over what turns out to be a mirage.

Contrary to what some think, walking by faith doesn’t mean turning off our brain, it means to be spiritually perceptive of reality as it is and to view life through this eternal perspective. It also means that we look beyond to the unchanging orbs of reality rather than trying to navigate our way through life using shifting clouds (feelings/emotions) as our point of reference.

At the end of the day, to walk by faith, not sight means to face difficulties with resilience, knowing that God uses the outward tough times we experience in life to inwardly grow Christlikeness in us (2 Cor. 4:16–18)!

#BeStrong

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#NAP

#walkbyfaithandnotbysight

It’s inevitable in life for us to second guess God’s plan, will, and purpose. I strongly believe that God chuckles every time we make a feeble attempt to predict His actions based on what we believe He is supposed to do. So, when we hear God say in Isaiah 55:8, “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways.” It behooves us to remember that our way of thinking is extremely different from God’s way of thinking.

Often, we live in a way that is so different from how God wants us to live. In our minds, we frequently create an unreal God, made in our own image and likeness, instead of realizing we are made in His likeness and His image. We forget that He is the eternal Creator whose ways and works are beyond our human comprehension. We tend to ignore that God is infinite and we are finite.

Undoubtedly, it’s very risky and not to mention foolish to act as if we know what God is thinking and planning. Rather than trying to fit God’s plans into our finite boxes, we should make ourselves fit into His infinite box!

I get it, it’s disheartening, frustrating and disappointing when God’s plans fail to meet our expectations, but we must remind ourselves that God has a higher purpose in mind for us. When my beloved embryo twin brother transition into the gates of heaven my world was devastated! However, through God tender love and kindness He helped me to remember that As His children, we are a part of His eternal plan aka big picture and that his heavenly transition was an end; it was only the beginning!!

Unmistakenly, the Lord works in ways that are mysterious to us but are known to Him. He is sovereign and doesn’t have to let us in on every detail but those who are called according to His purpose will always be blessed by His thoughts, plans, ways, and works.

#BeStrong

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#NAP

#Godswaysarehigher

After Jesus and His disciples fed 5,000 plus people listen to what He told them to do in Mark 6:31: “Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them, “Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.”

People of God, sometimes we just need to get some rest: physical, mental, emotional, spiritual, and relational.

If one of these categories apply to your situation today I invite you to pray with me:

Father God, You alone are my Shepherd and all-powerful God. Although I have a lot to do, and a lot to worry about, You are always awake, always working, and in perfect control. I trust You to handle what I can’t and I bless You for giving me the strength to handle what I can. I pray that You refresh my weary soul today as I abide in You and rest in Your love. Free my mind from all the worldly activities so that I can focus on my daily walk with You. In Jesus’s restoring and refreshing name I pray. Amen.

#BeStrong

#TGBTG

#NAP

#RestInTheLord

In the Psalms, Proverbs, and many other books of the Bible, we find commands to wait on the Lord” like this one: “Wait on the LORD: Be of good courage, and He shall strengthen thine heart: Wait, I say, on the LORD” (Psalm 27:14, KJV).

In an ever increasing instant gratuitous world, patience is the last thing people want to put in their microwaves or instant pots! However, patience is not only a virtue it’s also a fruit of God’s Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23).

Patient, confident trust in the Lord is the central idea of the exhortation to wait on the Lord. The entire Psalm 27 is a prayer to God for help. It beautifully illustrates the meaning of waiting on the Lord. Throughout the psalm’s eloquent lines, David expresses authentic faith and courageous trust in God, based on his confident expectation that the Lord will rescue and save him in his time of trouble.

Simply put, waiting on the Lord requires that we trust God with everything. All of our confidence must be cemented in believing that God will see us through whatever trial, circumstance or valley that we are facing. David expressed great confidence in the Lord, who was his light, salvation, and stronghold (Psalm 27:1–2). His unwavering and dynamic trust dispelled fear and despair: “When the wicked advance against me to devour me, it is my enemies and my foes who will stumble and fall. Though an army besiege me, my heart will not fear; though war break out against me, even then I will be confident” (verses 2–3).

The other ways we can wait on the Lord is through the reading of His word and prayer! David said this in Psalm 27:4, “One thing I ask from the LORD, this only do I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze on the beauty of the LORD and to seek him in His temple.”

Waiting on the Lord involves the unequivocal confident expectation of a positive result in which we place a great hope. This expectation is based on knowledge of and trust in God. Those who do not know the Lord will not wait on Him; neither will those who fail to trust Him. We must be confident of who God is and what He is capable of doing. Those who wait on the Lord do not lose heart in their prayers: “This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, He hears us” (1 John 5:14).

Let me be the first to admit that I am probably one of the most impatient person you’ll ever meet, but I know that God is working on me in this area. So if you can relate to this message, I invite you to smash the share button and share this message with someone that might be encouraged to know they too are not alone!

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#NAP

#WaitOnTheLord

Psalm 121:1-8 says this, “I look up to the mountains does my help come from there? My help comes from the LORD, who made heaven and earth! He will not let you stumble; the one who watches over you will not slumber. Indeed, He who watches over Israel never slumbers or sleeps. The LORD Himself watches over you! The LORD stands beside in you as your protective shade. The sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon at night. The LORD keeps you from all harm and watches over your life. The LORD keeps watch over you as you come and go, both now and forever.”

Hallelujah, God is most certainly watching over our brothers and sisters in Israel during this time of war and conflict. However, I ask that you join me in this prayer for their continued safety, protection, resilience, restoration, and deliverance.

PRAY WITH ME:

O’Heavenly Father, thank You for being our shield and strong tower in our time of need. Thank You for always keeping watch and never slumbering when it comes to protecting and preserving Your people from hurt, harm, and danger.

Father God, as we stand before You, we humbly ask that You hear the cries of your people Israel. Please send them complete deliverance from the enemies who seek to kill, steal, and destroy their lives, freedoms, and democracy. As You know, those who seek to devour Your people are evil murders who curse Your name and seek to destroy Your holy city Jerusalem. Holy Spirit, please continue to watch over Your people as they are the apple of Your eye. May every enemy that opposes Israel fear You O’ mighty GOD and turn their wicked hearts over to Jesus, the only true Messiah and Savior of mankind.

Father God, grant Israel and those who have already experienced loss Your unlimited grace and unyielding mercy; bring each of them from distress to comfort, from darkness to light, from slavery to redemption, now, swiftly, and soon. All victory belongs to You O’GodI, in JESUS’ victorious name, amen and amen!

#BeStrong

#TGBTG

#NAP

#PrayersForIsrael

Here’s some good news for you to chew on today found in Numbers 23:19, “God is not a man, so He does not lie. He is not human, so He does not change His mind. Has He ever spoken and failed to act? Has He ever promised and not carried it through?”

This passage of text reminds us that what God has blessed and ordained, no one can curse. Here’s another truth, no one can ever block the blessings that God has for you, not even the adversary that roams around seeking what blessings he can steal, kill, and destroy (John 10:10) .

Here’s the deal, people or the adversary may try to hinder you from receiving all that God has for you but what they cannot do is stop the blessings that God has for you. All the forces of darkness cannot stop what God has Ordained. Isaiah 14:27 confirms, “For the LORD Almighty has purposed, and who can thwart Him? His hand is stretched out, and who can turn it back?”

I hope this message is speaking to at least one person today and if that’s you, never forget that what God has for you, is for you. Therfore, don’t just expect a few of God’s blessings…expect ALL of God’s BLESSINGS in your life today!

#BeStrong

#TGBTG

#NAP

#GodWantsToBlessYou