Using Words Wisely

 

The spoken word can have a powerful impact on the listener. Once spoken, our words are irreversible. They can bless or curse; heal or hurt; be gentle or incite anger; edify or tear down; be useful or destructive. Although we have no power over how our words are received, we do have stewardship over what we say...and how we say it.

The mighty Word of God says that the tongue is “a world of wickedness among the parts of the body,” that “death and life are in the power of the tongue,” and that “the one who guards his mouth preserves his life.” Our words have immense power! While righteous words are life-breathing, careless speech can have devastating consequences.

LORD God, help us to be quick to listen, slow to anger and slow to speak. Show us how to guard and tame our tongues. Bend our speech to be useful and gentle, seasoned with grace and wisdom. Lead us to speak truth in love...like honey to the soul of the recipient. Forgive us, LORD, for any unrighteousness we commit with our words; protect and heal us us from the careless words of others. Teach us how to utilize our words to bless, comfort and edify one another. Remind us always of the magnitude of our words, and let us be Holy Spirit led in all we do and say. In The Name of Jesus we pray...Amen!

Matthew 12:36

But I tell you that men will give an account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken.

James 3:5-6

In the same way, the tongue is a small part of the body, but it boasts of great things. Consider how small a spark sets a great forest on fire. The tongue also is a fire, a world of wickedness among the parts of the body. It pollutes the whole person, sets the course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.

Colossians 4:6

Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.

Psalm 49:3

My mouth will speak wisdom, And the meditation of my heart will be understanding.

Ecclesiastes 10:12

Words from the mouth of a wise man are gracious, while the lips of a fool consume him;

Proverbs 13:3

The one who guards his mouth preserves his life; The one who opens wide his lips comes to ruin.

Proverbs 15:1

A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.

Proverbs 21:23

He who guards his mouth and his tongue, Guards his soul from troubles.

James 1:19

My beloved brothers, understand this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger,

Proverbs 18:21

Death and life are in the power of the tongue, And those who love it will eat its fruit.

Proverbs 18:7

A fool's mouth is his ruin, And his lips are the snare of his soul.

Proverbs 10:11

The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life, but the mouth of the wicked conceals violence.

Romans 14:19

Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification.

1 Peter 1:15

But just as He who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do.

Overcomer

 Rejoice today that you are an overcomer! You have received Jesus as your Savior, and your identity is rooted in Him. Through Christ, you have defeated death and conquered darkness! You are a new Creation, and He who is in you is greater than anything! Walk in victorious freedom; for in Him, there is no condemnation...only a lighted life that cannot be extinguished. This is His eternal promise to you; this is the abundant life He offers to all who receive Him. You are His...rescued and redeemed...sealed for Eternity...one with The Son!

Rejoice and praise The King of kings and LORD of lords, as you walk in confident and unshakable faith! Rise grateful every day with hope and predestined purpose; freely receive His Grace...and run your race as the conqueror that you are called, equipped, and chosen to be!

1 John 4:4

You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.

1 John 5:4

For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world— our faith.

John 1:5

The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

John 16:33

“These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”

Romans 8:31

What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?

Ephesians 1:13

In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise,

Galatians 3:14

He redeemed us in order that the blessing promised to Abraham would come to the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit.

Revelation 3:5

“He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life; but I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels.”

Revelation 3:12

“He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he shall go out no more. I will write on him the name of My God and the name of the city of My God, the New Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from My God. And I will write on him My new name.”

Revelation 17:14

These will make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them, for He is Lord of lords and King of kings; and those who are with Him are called, chosen, and faithful.

Romans 8:1

There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.

John 10:10

The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.

2 Corinthians 5:17

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.

Romans 8:37

Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.

1 Corinthians 15:57

But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ!

When Darkness Is Called Light

 

We are living in a time when truth is twisted, righteousness is mocked, and deception parades as virtue. The world celebrates what God calls sin and silences those who stand for His truth. Yet amid the confusion, we can find peace , because none of this surprises the Lord.

He warned us that such days would come. But He also promised that light would shine in the darkness, and the darkness would not overcome it (John 1:5).

When injustice reigns and good people are condemned, remember: God’s justice never sleeps. His throne is still secure, and His timing is perfect. Our call is not to lose heart, but to stand firm — to keep loving, keep praying, keep proclaiming truth with grace.

“For the Lord loves justice and will not forsake His saints.”

— Psalm 37:28

So take heart, beloved. We were born for such a time as this. The world may call darkness light, but we know the true Light of the world — Jesus Christ. And one day soon, He will make all things right.

Hold fast. Speak truth. Shine bright. Our King is coming soon.

You Are Not Alone In Your Grief

Some of the most powerful healing can come through the most painful of circumstances. One of those extremely painful circumstances is grief but need not look further than Jesus and His word for healing.

Mary was distraught and beside herself with grief when Lazarus had passed away. But what she did was not run and yell at Jesus, not turn away from Him, not call Him names or question Him. No, she ran and fell at His feet grieving and sobbing. Humbly at His feet He met her. Jesus wept. Jesus wept the tears with her, He groaned and sobbed the same pain and from here the healing took place. He gave her the only thing that could heal her-His Comfort, His Love and His promises! “Jesus said to her, Did I not tell you and promise you that if you would believe and rely on Me, you would see the glory of God?” (John 11:40)

And one of the most profound miracles recorded happened!

Weep at the feet of Jesus...here lays the comfort, love, healing and promise of hope that with His tears will wash away grief. “Surely He has borne our grief and carried our sorrows. Isaiah 53:4 “He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.” Psalm 147:3 “Heal me, O Lord, and I shall be healed; save me, and I shall be saved, for you are my praise.” Jeremiah 17:14 “He has made all things beautiful in His time.” Ecclesiastes 3:11

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He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” Revelation 21:4

 

People Will Disappoint You

 

No matter how much you believe in someone. No matter how great someone is, they will eventually let you down in some area. They’re human. They’re broken. And just like you and me, they are not at all, perfect.

But, if our hope was never in them to begin with. If we were never relying on THEM to make us feel loved, valued, and accepted in the first place, then, when they DO let us down, it won’t really shake us at all. Because we will know the truth, that what they do or say doesn’t change who we are, or one thing at all — it just reinstates the fact that they have their own issues, they struggle, and sometimes, intentionally or not, they will do things that disappoint us, and whatever the reason is to why they did what they did, we will know, is more about what they are going through in their own life and heart, than it is about us. And we will truly be able to to step back and see why THEY may be hurting, instead of being the one that ends up hurting, which, is SO freeing.

Our hope has to be in Jesus — for EVERYTHING, friends. Not people. Because when it is, when you are doing everything on YOUR end, the best you can, you can KNOW, that whatever happens each day, is truly in God’s hands. Someone can let you down, say something hurtful, break up with you, you can lose your job, get in an accident, or anything at all, and it won’t rock your boat for a second, because you will KNOW, that it’s not about you, but what Jesus wants to do in each situation, through you, and HE sees you. He sees the situation. He knows the truth. He’s allowed it. He has purpose in it. And He WILL use it ALL for good (Romans 8:28).

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And, when some people see that what they do doesn’t have power over you, or control you, or upset you like it used to or how they think it should, something incredible happens, and not just in their heart, but yours, too. They will see a change in you that cannot be explained. They will see a trust in God that they, too, will want to obtain. And they will see Jesus in you each day, and friend, THROUGH you, Jesus will be able to continue to work in their heart, too.

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So if this was for you, praise God! He sees you and He truly wants to help you.

The Storms of Sorrow Should Never be Wasted

How true is the saying, “All sunshine makes a desert?” God knows that if you never experience the storm of life – if the rain clouds never release their water – you will never see flower gardens grow. 

You need to blossom in the areas of sympathy, empathy, and compassion, understanding, perspective, and wisdom.

Our God is the God of second chances. Whatever is in the past can be used for God’s glory.

The storms of sorrow should never be wasted. By God’s design, grief will better your heart and life.

Grief will make your tree of life grow and blossom so that you will be able to offer the shade of comfort and hope to others who are going through the desert journey of grief.

“God comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. “ 2 Corinthians 1:4

Only Jesus Satisfies

Some people find this out early in life, some find it out later (26 🙋🏼‍♀️), and some of us find it out and simply start to forget. But that longing for something more, that looking for something to just make us feel complete and whole, or fill the void, just cannot be filled the way it was designed to be filled, unless it by Jesus Himself. God designed us that way, friends. He designed for us to be complete in HIM, so that we would never have to be apart from Him, and that through Him, we could do ALL the things He planned for us to do, and live a life of freedom, purpose, hope, and peace in Him.

Even as Christians I think we can forget how much we need Him. How much our spirits LONG for Him to fill that emptiness on some of those hard days. Because this world, relationships, even goals and so many GOOD things, can actually begin to make us believe that THEY are what we are chasing, and those are what will satisfy us, until we eventually begin to run on fumes and realize we’re feeling pretty empty.  It can be so easy to turn to other things when we are feeling this way, or lonely, or struggling with emotions, busyness, worry, or whatever it may be, but friends, let this be a reminder for those of us who know, and a nudge for maybe those who might be searching without even realizing it. Stop trying. Stop running. Stop trying to do life on self will, and run to things that will only leave you longing for more. Because Jesus is the only thing and Person who can fill AND satisfy. He is the only drink we can have and have our thirst be fully quenched. He is who God Himself, SENT.

If you’re human, you’ve tried the other things, and if you’re a Christian, you’ve found what truly satisfies. Maybe this is for the person who needed a reminder. Maybe it’s for the person who needed to hear it for the first time. Wherever you are, go to him, friend. Quit running. Quit doing life alone. Invite Him in. And let Him fill you from within. Again, again, and again. ❤️

@sarah.jean.armstrong