This morning, my thoughts echo Paula's reverential words on today's verses. It is our reality, that although we long and cry out to God for a purer heart and although we hate the dispicable nature of our Old Selves, somehow it still "spews forth". We are convicted of taking two steps forward and three steps back, again and again.
I, too, am tired of it.
But the reminder that Paula gave of the glorious fact that we're bandaged and healing, that we aren't left to die from our sliding back and back...that reminder heals me also and makes me aware of his love for us, the undeserving.
I pray for and with Paula today, for all of you. Delight in the guaze of Christ's love that sends you breathing forward, living fully as he would have you, for him. Flawed, but loved are we, so loved and so understood by our King. He knows the war we wage, and he's there to fight alongside us.
He is with us today! He sees what we are learning in our Bibles and he will help us to apply it. I am soaking in that truth today.
Love in him,
And have a marvelous weekend, dear girls!
~Cait
Friday, March 11, 2011
James 3:10-12
"Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My [sisters], this should not be..."
I am in need of some gospel promises this morning more than ever, for I need only look back on yesterday to see that this mouth God made to speak his praises and share his love opened to spew forth evil. There is no euphemism for the word.
The same mouth that praises God with my husband to thank God for daily blessings, complains. The same mouth that encourages my mother one moment critiques her in the next.
The same mouth that thanks God for his faithfulness fails to trust him and speaks of anxiety that wells from my heart.
Jeremiah writes, "Although our sins testify against, us, O Lord, do something for the sake of your names. For our backsliding is great; we have sinned against you."
I cry with David this morning, "When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was sapped as in the heat of summer. Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, 'I will confess my transgressions to the LORD' and you forgave the guilt of my sin."
I am so tired of backsliding. Jeremiah also writes, "Return, faithless people; I will cure you of backsliding." Cure...I am diseased, cut, bleeding. I have a wound. This sin. We all do. But I praise God that all of you girls and I KNOW that we have a healing gauze over that wound. Jesus. That's really the only difference between us and unbelievers. They have the wound, too. But they have no white healing cover. They are gushing. Dying. We are alive in Christ. I need him so badly to heal me. Every day. Please pray that I would not keep backsliding, but press on, because there are so many who don't have that white bandage. While we are living, they are dying. I don't want my tongue to be twisted when it might bless, encourage, or pose a question for the purpose of healing.
Wanted to share this song that we used for "down the aisle" at our wedding.
I love this song.
Thursday, March 10, 2011
James 3:7-9
Today, I found a wealth of verses on the tongue/heart in one proverb-Proverbs 15.
1 A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.
4 The tongue that brings healing is a tree of life, but a deceitful tongue crushes the spirit.
7 The lips of the wise spread knowledge; not so the hearts of fools.
23 A man finds joy in giving an apt reply--and how good is a timely word!
(Both the speaker and hearer benefit!!)
28 The heart of the righteous weighs its answers, but the mouth of the wicked gushes evil.
30 A cheerful look brings joy to the heart, and good news gives health to the bones.
(the best news is the gospel!)
These verses struck me again about how out of the overflow of the mouth, the heart speaks (Matthew 12).
Yes, create in me a clean heart, O God. Guide the door of my mouth!
James 3:7-9
*In my post from last night I mentioned the verse about anything not coming from faith, being sin. I don't think I connected it very well into our reading for yesterday like I meant to!
Anyway, the line I drew between the two different areas of Scripture is this: That although we may not be using our tongue to gossip, or disrespect, or directly hurt a person or situation...while we may just be having ordinary conversations, harmless on the surface, it's important to realize that if our motive - our heart - is coming from a place without faith, then our tongues are being used wrongfully. All our speech should be motivated by love and constructive, edifying outcomes, by faith. If it isn't at any point, we should keep quiet, because the likelihood is great of our selfish, sinful side looking to rear it's head. Sometimes is subtle, so I'm praying all the more for God to give me a deep discretion, a careful mouth that opens for the good, and loving purposes.
(I hope that describes better what I meant to say last night!)*
Yet, this all ties into today's reading also. Overall, James seems to be really driving home the point that our speech can be utterly disastrous and used in a multitude of evil ways. This motivates me to watch my tongue, to be sure, ...and I don't know about you girls, but it also numbs me in a way because I realize my fallenness in this area all the more - I am a woman that loves to talk and I usually have so much energy that helps the words come out more than easily sometimes! :/ Past conversations, little phrases that slipped out unheeded, little sighs or mutterings so easily forgotten - they all pile high in my heart and make me wonder how I'll ever come close to using my speech in a godly way? It's easy to let despair and hopelessness come over us when we see the reality of the garbage in our lives, around us, in our own hearts.
That is why I must pray "Create in me a clean heart oh God and renew a steadfast spirit within me", daily...hourly. I need his forgiveness to cover me and I need his strength to go forward each day, because I'm weak and I give up on my own!
Christ has already nailed that garbage pile to the cross, so I have joy.
I pray he works through me and through each of you to strengthen you to live with speech all crystalline and godly-beautiful, and that he wraps us up with his grace and comfort when we fail and the ugly creeps up.
He is so good, isn't he?!
Love you girls,
~Cait
*James 3:5-6
Anyway, the line I drew between the two different areas of Scripture is this: That although we may not be using our tongue to gossip, or disrespect, or directly hurt a person or situation...while we may just be having ordinary conversations, harmless on the surface, it's important to realize that if our motive - our heart - is coming from a place without faith, then our tongues are being used wrongfully. All our speech should be motivated by love and constructive, edifying outcomes, by faith. If it isn't at any point, we should keep quiet, because the likelihood is great of our selfish, sinful side looking to rear it's head. Sometimes is subtle, so I'm praying all the more for God to give me a deep discretion, a careful mouth that opens for the good, and loving purposes.
(I hope that describes better what I meant to say last night!)*
Yet, this all ties into today's reading also. Overall, James seems to be really driving home the point that our speech can be utterly disastrous and used in a multitude of evil ways. This motivates me to watch my tongue, to be sure, ...and I don't know about you girls, but it also numbs me in a way because I realize my fallenness in this area all the more - I am a woman that loves to talk and I usually have so much energy that helps the words come out more than easily sometimes! :/ Past conversations, little phrases that slipped out unheeded, little sighs or mutterings so easily forgotten - they all pile high in my heart and make me wonder how I'll ever come close to using my speech in a godly way? It's easy to let despair and hopelessness come over us when we see the reality of the garbage in our lives, around us, in our own hearts.
That is why I must pray "Create in me a clean heart oh God and renew a steadfast spirit within me", daily...hourly. I need his forgiveness to cover me and I need his strength to go forward each day, because I'm weak and I give up on my own!
Christ has already nailed that garbage pile to the cross, so I have joy.
I pray he works through me and through each of you to strengthen you to live with speech all crystalline and godly-beautiful, and that he wraps us up with his grace and comfort when we fail and the ugly creeps up.
He is so good, isn't he?!
Love you girls,
~Cait
*James 3:5-6
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
James 3: 5-6
“Not a word from their mouth can be trusted; their heart is filled with destruction. Their throat is an open grave; with their tongue they speak deceit.” Psalms 5:9
I found this verse today, and I think it goes well with today's reading. The idea of our throat being an open grave for us speaks volumes of what an important lesson it is for us. It's something that will always have an affect on us and others, even if it comes up later on in our life.
Sometimes I feel a little guilty when I think about things I would say and talk about with my friends from SPCPA that weren't believers. I know I can't be perfect, but I think about the times when I would use my words in negative ways. What if I closed the door? What if they thought that Christians really aren't anything special if they're all like how I was in my weak moments? It reminds me of the quote "You may be the only Bible some people will ever read." That's inspiration enough for me to try my very best and pray to God to help hold my tongue.
Goodnight ladies :)
I found this verse today, and I think it goes well with today's reading. The idea of our throat being an open grave for us speaks volumes of what an important lesson it is for us. It's something that will always have an affect on us and others, even if it comes up later on in our life.
Sometimes I feel a little guilty when I think about things I would say and talk about with my friends from SPCPA that weren't believers. I know I can't be perfect, but I think about the times when I would use my words in negative ways. What if I closed the door? What if they thought that Christians really aren't anything special if they're all like how I was in my weak moments? It reminds me of the quote "You may be the only Bible some people will ever read." That's inspiration enough for me to try my very best and pray to God to help hold my tongue.
Goodnight ladies :)
James 3:5-6
"The tongue steps forth among the members, it assumes the leadership among them, it rules them, it makes them do its bidding. Thus it happens that it succeeds in staining the whole body, in polluting all the members; it sets in motion and inflames the wheel of nature, the whole circle of innate passions, jealousy, backbiting, slander, blasphemy, and every vile deed." -Kretzmann
A friend and I were catching up over tea this afternoon, a baby in my arms and a toddler running around her feet, and a verse from Romans 14 came up in our conversation about motives and heart-issues (like submitting to our husbands, etc...). The verse says, "...everything that does not come from faith is sin." (Romans 14:23) This passage is in the context of adiophora - eating meat around a vegetarian, for example. Basically, if someone's faith doesn't allow her to eat meat with a clear conscience, then for her to eat meat would be a sin. Today is Ash Wednesday and many of my customers at work walked through the door with ash smeared on their foreheads and they proceeded to order fish off the menu. I can't condemn them for that, because that's what their faith leads them to do (assuming their faith is genuine and real).
Anyway, my point by bringing up that verse in connection to our very - once again - STRONG reading today is that our speech can and often leads to a world of offenses and disasters when used wrongfully! But, just like every negative, there is a positive. Every coin has a heads and a tails. The strength of our speech is real and worth our strictest watchfulness. We most definitely ought to think more before we speak. And yet I think there are times, as Paula said before, that it's needful to use our words in the best way possible to honor God and bring encouragement and understanding to others.
As the afternoon "chat" with my friend turned into a 3-hour long, meaningful conversation, I began to really think on our James study and realize how many actual words were being exchanged during that time we shared. I know for a fact that my sinful self made it impossible to execute that conversation perfectly. We probably both could have said everything in a more God-pleasing, perfect way. Yet, I left her house delightlfully uplifted and reminded of the wonderful blessings of friends God gives us. I was reminded that we have tongues that work - albeit sinfully all too often - yet, also for purposes of edification and learning, to honor God with our relationships. I desire to use my speech with more and more care and thoughtfulness, especially considering the DAMAGE it can do.
But as with all else that we humans that are only dust cannot do right, our speech will fall short of the glory of God. So with a sincere, sorry heart I ask for a clean slate. I rest in his grace for my inadequacies, and I trust that he that heals the most foolish of devastations can make good out of the ugly I create.
Praying, girls, that we all guard...guard....guard our tongues, and that all the more we allow His Grace to wholly fill our insufficiencies.
Love you and g'night! :)
~Cait
A friend and I were catching up over tea this afternoon, a baby in my arms and a toddler running around her feet, and a verse from Romans 14 came up in our conversation about motives and heart-issues (like submitting to our husbands, etc...). The verse says, "...everything that does not come from faith is sin." (Romans 14:23) This passage is in the context of adiophora - eating meat around a vegetarian, for example. Basically, if someone's faith doesn't allow her to eat meat with a clear conscience, then for her to eat meat would be a sin. Today is Ash Wednesday and many of my customers at work walked through the door with ash smeared on their foreheads and they proceeded to order fish off the menu. I can't condemn them for that, because that's what their faith leads them to do (assuming their faith is genuine and real).
Anyway, my point by bringing up that verse in connection to our very - once again - STRONG reading today is that our speech can and often leads to a world of offenses and disasters when used wrongfully! But, just like every negative, there is a positive. Every coin has a heads and a tails. The strength of our speech is real and worth our strictest watchfulness. We most definitely ought to think more before we speak. And yet I think there are times, as Paula said before, that it's needful to use our words in the best way possible to honor God and bring encouragement and understanding to others.
As the afternoon "chat" with my friend turned into a 3-hour long, meaningful conversation, I began to really think on our James study and realize how many actual words were being exchanged during that time we shared. I know for a fact that my sinful self made it impossible to execute that conversation perfectly. We probably both could have said everything in a more God-pleasing, perfect way. Yet, I left her house delightlfully uplifted and reminded of the wonderful blessings of friends God gives us. I was reminded that we have tongues that work - albeit sinfully all too often - yet, also for purposes of edification and learning, to honor God with our relationships. I desire to use my speech with more and more care and thoughtfulness, especially considering the DAMAGE it can do.
But as with all else that we humans that are only dust cannot do right, our speech will fall short of the glory of God. So with a sincere, sorry heart I ask for a clean slate. I rest in his grace for my inadequacies, and I trust that he that heals the most foolish of devastations can make good out of the ugly I create.
Praying, girls, that we all guard...guard....guard our tongues, and that all the more we allow His Grace to wholly fill our insufficiencies.
Love you and g'night! :)
~Cait
James 3:5-6
I think we all know, as women, how people gossip....ALL THE TIME! I say "as women" because i think that we as a whole tend to gossip more outwardly than men. Thats not to say that there are no male gossip queens out there...
How often do we become a part of this? Giving our neighbor a bad name, complaining that he did this or she did that, bragging about how great we are, blah blah blah..... all these things that come from the very same lips that praise Christ himself!
My goal from reading these verses is to better tame my tongue and close my lips to the words..."did you hear...?" or "you'll never believe this...!" and so on. These things only lead to the destruction of others and to the destruction of our witnessing of Christ....these words start fires.
My words should be reserved for ONLY Godly talk.
"Father, please help me tame my tongue and use it solely to praise you in all I say."
How often do we become a part of this? Giving our neighbor a bad name, complaining that he did this or she did that, bragging about how great we are, blah blah blah..... all these things that come from the very same lips that praise Christ himself!
My goal from reading these verses is to better tame my tongue and close my lips to the words..."did you hear...?" or "you'll never believe this...!" and so on. These things only lead to the destruction of others and to the destruction of our witnessing of Christ....these words start fires.
My words should be reserved for ONLY Godly talk.
"Father, please help me tame my tongue and use it solely to praise you in all I say."
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