TODAY’S WORD…

No one can tame the tongue. It is restless and evil, full of deadly poison.

– James 3:8

REFLECTION…

Beware the tongue!

No one can tame the tongue. No cunning, persuasion, or influence has ever been able to silence the tongue. Nothing but the grace of God, removal, or death, can bring it under subjection.

It can be full of deadly poison, which, privately, secretly, and gradually, destroys the characters and reputation of men. It can be of fatal consequence in families, friendships and in relationships of any kind – personal, social, political… It can be an unruly evil – so difficult to restrain; it breaks all bounds.

Full of deadly poison – hissing and whispering, backbiting, lying, insinuating, badmouthing…full of hate, malice, envy, resentment, cruelty, slander…

Full of deadly poison – the tongue acts on the happiness of man, and on the peace of society, as poison does on the human frame. There is no sting of any serpent that can do so much evil; there is no poison more deadly to the human than the poison of the tongue is to the peace and happiness of man.

PRAYER…

My Lord, forgive me.

Forgive me for whatever hurt or damage I may have caused others

through what I said, shouted or whispered, directly or indirectly.

I beg you, Lord, undo the damage I have caused,

heal those hearts which I have hurt,

and let them be filled with Your peace.

Lord, please also heal my hurts,

and help me forgive, truly forgive, all those who have hurt me with their words.

Lord, help me forgive them like You forgive me.

For this I pray with all my heart.  Amen.