Pam Padgett ... teacher
Psalm 12:3 The LORD shall cut off all flattering lips, and the tongue that speaketh proud things: 4 Who have said, With our tongue will we prevail; our lips are our own: who is lord over us?
James 3:5 Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things.
Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth! 6 And the tongue is a
fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it
defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and
it is set on fire of hell.
Man often tries to show that he is better or more powerful (in some way)
than others by what he says. Debates, speeches, arguments, boastful talk, and sadly,
even prayers spoken in public to be heard by others, are used to exalt
the speaker.
Matthew 23:14 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye devour widows' houses, and for a pretence make long prayer: therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation.
But all glory, honor, and power belongs to God. HE alone is worthy to
be praised. HIS word is real and true, having great power,
and will never fail.
God spoke, and the world was created. The heavens and the earth will
continue, being held in place by HIS word, until the end of the world
... 2 Peter 3:5 For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by
the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of
the water and in the water: 6 Whereby the world that then was, being
overflowed with water, perished: 7 But the heavens and the earth, which
are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against
the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.
And we have been changed, and continue to be changed, by the Word of God
as the Holy Spirit works in us showing us how to apply the Word we've
been given in our lives, conforming us to the image of Christ.
It is not the word of man that has power, but the Word of God. Regardless of what man may speak to try to prevail in the situation, they will not prevail against God and His Word.
It is the Word of God we should uphold when we speak, not our own ideas or those of others.
As I thought about these things, I was reminded that we speak what is in
our hearts. If we are trying to gain glory for ourselves among men, we
will speak proud, boastful things. But if we are diligent to keep our
hearts pure and humbly seek only to be pleasing to God, what is good in
the sight of God will come out of our mouths.
Matthew 12:34 O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good
things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.
And Jesus told us the following about praying to our heavenly Father in secret, rather than to be seen of men ...
Matthew 6:5 And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites
are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners
of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you,
They have their reward. 6 But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast
shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father
which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.
Psalm 19:14 Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer.