THE WORDS OF MY MOUTH

Those who guard their lips preserve their lives,

but those who speak rashly will come to ruin.

Proverbs 13.3

The tongue is a fire,...

sets the whole course of one's life on fire...

James 3.6

May the words of my mouth and meditation of my heart

be pleasing in Your sight, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.

Psalm 19.14

The Psalm implies that the words of our mouth come from our heart.  Jesus confirms this in Mark 7:20-23--"it is from within, out of a person's heart, that evil thoughts come...malice, lewdness, slander..."

Proverbs 6. 16-19 tells us there are seven things that "God hates" and are "detestable to Him."  Three of these have to do with the tongue--lies twice, and "a person who stirs up conflict in the community."  A fourth is "a heart that deises wicked schemes."

The Proverbs have several dozen comments of the tongue, lips, words and mouth.

The Psalms are all about the heart that is the source of all we say, as well as do.

James 3.1-4.8 gives us guidelines for "taming the tongue."

3.1-8 tells us the power of the tongue, concluding, "No human being can tame the tongue.  It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison."

3.9-12 gives us some examples of how important this is.

At 3.13 James gives us insight into how the tongue works and how God purifies our words by dealing with our heart.

Our prayer for our words and heart is Psalm 19.14 (Psalm 139.23-24 and all of Psalm 119 will help).  As we search Psalms and Proverbs for Scriptures, we will find "swords of the Spirit" (Heb. 4.12; Eph. 6.17) "attack" the bitter envy and selfish ambition, the fights and quarrels, the desires that battle within us, the coveting and wrong motives of selfish pleasures that James identifies for us.

Proverbs and Psalms, again, are key sources for "the word of God" that we need to resist "earthly, unspiritual, demonic" (James 3.15) words that come from "dark...spiritual forces of evil."  (Eph. 6.12)

This work will free us from our internal conflicts that show up in our conflicts with others.

MORE "WORDS OF MY MOUTH"

The wisdom of the prudent is to give thought to their ways.

Proverbs 14.8--

A gentle answer turns away wrath.

Proverbs 15.1--

Gracious words are...sweet to the soul and healing to the bones.

Proverbs 16.24

When we "put to death" the bitter envy and selfish ambition, the fights and quarrels, the desires that battle within us, the coveting and wrong motives of selfish pleasures that James identifies for us, we are ready to develop "the wisdom that comes from Heaven."   (James 3.17)

James tells us exactly what we need to work on.

He begins with the basics:  "...a good life, by deeds done in...humilty."

Then comes very specific details.

"The wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all

pure

then peace-loving,

considerate,

submissive,

full of mercy

and good fruit,

impartial,

sincere.

Peacemakers who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness.

James 3.17-18

This list from James is amplified in the Proverbs, again, by dozens of statements about the tongue, mouth, lips, and words.  The Proverbs are penetrating.  The tools we need to repair our words are found in the workshop of the Proverbs.

With prayers of the Psalms about our heart being pure and pleasing to our Lord, we will more and more desire the presence and the glory of God to fill our heart and words. 

Scripture will give truth fo insight into the motives and thoughts of the heart.

We will grow in grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ, loving our Father more and more, filled and empowered by the Holy Spirit our Comforter.

 to "attack."by the prayer of Psalm 19.14 (also 139.23-24, and all of Psalm 119) combined with searching Scriptures for a "sword of the Spirit" (Heb. 4.12; Eph. 6.17) to

THE CRAFTSMEN HAVE COME

"The craftsmen have come to terrify them

 and throw down these horns of the nations

who lifted up their horns against the land of Judah

to scatter its people."

Zechariah 1.21

Ephesians 2.1-3 describes our lives as being dead in transgressions and sins, following the ways to this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air.  Paul says all of us once lived to gratify the cravings of our selfish desires and thoughts, and that we were deserving of the wrath of God!"

But Paul also tells us of "weapons that have divine power to demolish strongholds...that demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and takes captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.  (2 Cor. 10.1-5)

This must what Zechariah pictures with his "horsemen" who survey the devastation of the people of God, destroyed by the "horns of the nations," (Zech 1.7-17), but delivered by "craftsmen" who know how to "throw down these horns of the nations who lifted up their horns against the land of Judah to scatter its people."  (Zech. 1.21)

Yes.  Zechariah's picture is "mysterious" if not outright "weird" to our imaginations today. 

But it's the same idea as Paul's "weapons that demolish the strongholds" of this world, strongholds that conform and enslave us to the ways of this world. 

Our God is always delivering His people from the powers of this world,

          from bondage and blindness,

              prisons and pits,

                  fear and darkness,

                      sin and death, 

                          devastation and dispair,

          from weakness and slavery,

              loneliness and affliction,

                  weariness and heavy burdens,

                      hopelessness and helplessness.

We have our work cut out for us if we want to offer grace to help these lost sheep for whom Jesus came to save, for whom Jesus died, and for whom He weeps still today.

If we want to become shepherds who "care for the lost, seek the young, heal the injured, and feed the healthy" (as Zechariah calls for in 11.16), I say we have much work to do, work that has been neglected for a very long time now.

We must begin immediately and urgently to "study...to be a workman...who correctly handles the word of truth." (2 Tim. 2.15)  We must learn to use "the sword of the Spirit...to divide souls and spirit, to penetrate the joints and marrow,  exposing the thoughts and attitudes of the heart." (Heb. 4.12) 

We must immediately and urgently "study," prayerfully reading Scripture more diligently to see  the "lost" as our Lord sees them.  We must learn to bring them to His  throne of grace.  We must be able to teach them how our Lord's mercy and grace saves and delivers them from destructiveness and death.  We must teach them how that same grace empowers us to obey the commands of Christ to love God and one another--Heb. 4.16.

All of the Prophets will help us.  Psalms will help.  The Gospels and Epistles are essential to see Jesus and the work of the Holy Spirit enabling and empowering us to be disciples who are able to disciple, faithful people who will be able to teach others (2 Tim. 2.1-4).

We have work to do. 

But it is work that our Lord wants us to do and seeks those who will say with Isaiah, "Here am I, Lord.  Send me."

AN ACCOUNT OF MY WAYS

With my lips I recount all the laws that come from Your mouth.

I gave an account of my ways and You answered me;

teach me Your decrees.

I have considered my ways and have turned my steps to Your statutes.

Psalm 119.13, 26, 59

This is so simple!!

I recount all the laws by simply reading them.

I give an account of my ways by being honest with myself about myself--motives, thoughts, feelings, etc.  I can look for myself  and my ways in the Psalms.  They will take me to the pits of my soul's dispair and degeneration, and then lift me to the highest peaks of God's glory and grace.

I turn my steps to Your statutes, and the Holy Spirit  gives me wisdom and power to turn my ways to His ways by the only thing that is needful--"Abide".

I am the vine; you are the branches. 

If you abide in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit;

apart from Me you can do nothing.

I you abide in Me and My words abide in you,

ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.

John 15.5,7