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By Our Words
Andrea Lende • April 25, 2021
Matthew 12:36-37
By Our Words
You can also listen to the devotion and prayer at: https://anchor.fm/andrea-lende/episodes/By-Our-Words-evjfc1
Matthew 12:36-37
“But I tell you, on the day of judgment men will have to give account for every idle (inoperative, nonworking) word they speak.”
“For by your words you will be justified and acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned and sentenced.”
Jesus was talking to a crowd.
His disciples, along with people whom he had cured, were in the crowd.
The scribes and the Pharisees were there as well trying to find something to accuse Him of so they could arrest Him.
Jesus was speaking so many nuggets of truth to all who listened.
The two verses above stood out to me as I read in the Book of Matthew.
More than that, they convicted me.
Our words are so powerful.
Jesus said we will be held accountable for all the idle words we say.
The words that have no direction or serve no worthy function.
He said we will be condemned and sentenced by our words.
This sounds scary and almost impossible to overcome for I have said many words that were idle not to mention unkind, negative, and destructive.
I have no defense except I didn’t know any better.
I simply didn’t know how powerful my words were until I did.
I didn’t know I would be held accountable for every word I say and every word I’d ever said.
So, I don’t know what to do with Jesus’ statements.
I am thankful the Lord is gracious.
Thankful He forgives me for my short comings, failures, and sins.
Thankful He has called me to learn more of His ways.
And thankful He continues to teach me.
I pray the Lord will continue to forgive my short comings in this area.
I pray He imparts more wisdom into my heart so I become more like Him.
And I pray He strengthens me to follow Him and His ways more closely.
Today I choose to use my words more carefully and use them to build up instead of tear down, to praise instead of grumble, and to worship the Lord God in all His holiness.
May you find that using words to praise God, worship Him, and be grateful for His blessings will bring you closer to Him.
Daily Prayer:
O Lord, my God, thank You for lovingly convicting me to come up higher. Thank You for showing me more about the power of my words. Thank You for sending Your Son to teach me how to live more powerfully for You. Lord, I pray You set a guard upon my mouth to keep all idle and useless words from my lips. Help me use my words to build others up and breathe life into their lives. Help me speak of love and all good things instead of hatred and pain. Purify my heart, Lord. May You fill my heart with hope. May Your dreams become my dreams. May Your will be done in all the circumstances of my life. Keep me seeking You above all else. Help me bless someone this day. Thank You for hearing my prayer.
Answer: My Spirit resides in yours My child and I will continue to fill you with all good things.
Response: Help me come up higher in You, Almighty God and Father.
We start a New Year! How exciting! Paul had just finished telling the Ephesians to put off their old nature. They had been run around by their feelings and desires. He told them to be renewed in their spirit. The Amplified Bible defines this to be “having a fresh mental and spiritual attitude.” As we say goodbye to this year, let us put on the new and leave the old behind. We have an opportunity to reflect on what to bring forward into this New Year.
This is a great message for the New Year. We can be in control of our own words. As a mother, I used to tell my children to use their words to explain what was happening in their minds. I tried to help them find the right words. Words that would help the situation and not make it worse. I must do the same thing when talking to them. It’s important to use words that do not damage their spirits. Words that lift up instead of tear down. Even though my children have grown, I still want to be careful how I speak to them because my worlds will impact them for the rest of their lives.
As we approach the New Year, it is a perfect time to take inventory of what part of our lives, our hearts, and our souls are not bearing fruit. What can we give up as this year comes to a close? What do we need to give to the Lord for His cleansing and pruning? The answers to these questions take time. Time with the Lord. We are creatures of routines and habits which serve us well. But we can also change our routines and habits to serve us and the Lord better. So, we can ask God to show us what He wants us to give up so that He can have more of us.
I cannot think of a better verse to meditate on as we approach the New Year. Jesus said, "the kingdom of God is within you [in your hearts] and among you [surrounding you]." For so many years I believed I had to wait to go to heaven to experience the kingdom of God. I have longed to step into heaven and meet the Lord and His Son. However, as we read the Gospels and study Jesus and all that He said, we begin to understand the kingdom of God is all around us. The kingdom of God is within.
Paul wrote to the Colossians and told them he was praying for them. He prayed they would be refreshed, renewed, and invigorated. He also prayed they would be strengthened. May his prayer be heard by the Lord God Almighty on our behalf today just as it was received two thousand years ago. God is the Source of all things beautiful and wonderful. There is no shortage of renewal, refreshment, or inspiration in His kingdom. And as the Creator of this universe, He continues to pour all good things into His people. Paul wrote that refreshment and strength are needed so we may have endurance.
This verse is the perfect verse to reflect on as Christmas comes to a close. The Lord sent His Son to us. He sent Him to this world as a babe. Jesus was given the task of growing up. A difficult one for all of us. He endured the awkward stages we all go through as we grow past them. I look back at old picture and cringe, yes, I cringe. This life provides plenty of opportunities to feel awkward and just plain weird, but our Father loves us as though we are perfect every day of our lives. This is why Jesus came. He came to make us perfect in God’s sight.
God made Himself flesh so He could take away the sins of the world. The story of the very first Christmas was humble, yet the most powerful and loving birth ever recorded in history. All humanity changed in an instant. When Jesus was born, love filled the earth. Love came down and lifted us up. The angels came to tell the shepherds of this beautiful birth. The stars in the heavens also told the story. As we do all tasks that we do to ensure a beautiful Christmas day, may we remember the miracle that God sent long ago. The miracle of all miracles.
The first Christmas was going to be documented, so that it could be read many times over for all Christmas’ to come. It was also documented so the prophecy of the Messiah’s birth would be known to be fulfilled. Prophets of old foretold Jesus would come from the house of David. They also prophesied that He would be born in Bethlehem. And all this came to pass. Even though Jesus would be known as a Nazarene, His beginning began in Bethlehem. God’s divine plan was set in motion with the first census while Mary was at the end of her pregnancy.
What a wonderful passage to read during Christmas week. Our passage touched my heart as I read it through the lens of Jesus’ birth. “It was God [personally present] in Christ, reconciling and restoring the world to favor with Himself.” We have so much to be thankful for in these few short words, “restoring the world to favor with Himself.” So undeserved and yet so graciously given. We are offered favor with the Lord. Imagine having favor with the almighty God, the Creator of the universe. Jesus chose to leave heaven’s door where all was perfect. He chose to be born into this dusty messy world.
Jesus had just spoken to a fig tree and deemed it unworthy to live because it had no fruit on it. His disciples were amazed when they saw the fig tree wither and die. Then the Lord talked to them about prayer and belief. He told them that whatever they asked for, if they had the faith and belief, they would receive it. I remember the day I started hearing music and lyrics. I had just bowed my head at the piano and asked if the Lord would bless praise and worship music. As soon as I prayed that prayer, the Lord bestowed the gift of song writing upon me.