Manna for Your Morning

Then Job answered and said: “How long will you torment my soul, and break me in pieces with words? These ten times you have reproached me; You are not ashamed that you have wronged me.” — Job 19:1-3 (NKJV) Proverbs 18:21 says, death and life are in the power of the tongue. In Genesis 27:33 (NLT), after Isaac had mistakenly blessed Jacob, he told Esau that the blessing must stand! Our words are powerful. When we cut people with our words, we may go back and apologize, but the damage has already been done. There is one who speaks like the piercings of a sword, but the tongue of the wise promotes health. (Proverbs 12:18 NKJV) Do you see a man hasty in his words? There is more hope for a fool than for him. (Proverbs 29:20 NKJV) May we be slow to speak and carefully choose our words. Let us speak wise words, those of life, love, peace, and blessing. Pleasant words are like a honeycomb, sweet and delightful to the soul and healing to the body. (Proverbs 16:24 AMP)  In Exodus 4:12 (NLT),...

Let your conversation be gracious and attractive so that you will have the right response for everyone. — Colossians 4:6 (NLT) Let us speak good and encouraging words to others and in our self-talk. For the Scriptures say, “If you want to enjoy life and see many happy days, keep your tongue from speaking evil and your lips from telling lies.” (1 Peter 3:10 NLT) Anxiety in a man’s heart weighs it down, but a good word makes it glad. (Proverbs 12:25 NASB1995) Proverbs 12:14a, says: A man will be satisfied with good by the fruit of his words. And Proverbs 12:18b says, the tongue of the wise brings healing. To speak good, true, and encouraging words, speak the Word of God, for He has magnified His word above all His name. (See Psalms 138:2 NKJV) And the word of the LORD endures forever. (See 1 Peter 1:25) Amen. Words kill, words give life; they’re either poison or fruit—you choose. — Proverbs 18:21 (MSG)

Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it and indulge it will eat its fruit and bear the consequences of their words. — Proverbs 18:21 (AMP) Let us choose to speak words of life, wisdom, and truth. A soothing tongue [speaking words that build up and encourage] is a tree of life, but a perversive tongue [speaking words that overwhelm and depress] crushes the spirit. (Proverbs 15:4 AMP) Does anyone want to live a life that is long and prosperous? Then keep your tongue from speaking evil and your lips from telling lies! Turn away from evil and do good. Search for peace, and work to maintain it. (Psalms 34:12-14 NLT) Let your speech always be with grace, as though seasoned with salt, so that you will know how you should respond to each person. (Colossians 4:6 NASB1995) Set a guard, O LORD, over my mouth; Keep watch over the door of my lips. — Psalms 141:3 (NASB1995)

Do you not understand that everything that goes into the mouth passes into the stomach, and is eliminated? But the things that proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and those defile the man. — Matthew 15:17-18 (NASB) What comes out of your mouth reveals the core of your heart. (Matthew 15:18 TPT). If we want to speak words of life, let us treasure and store the Word of God in our hearts. (Psalm 119:11).  Words kill, words give life; they’re either poison or fruit—you choose. (Proverbs 18:21 MSG) I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life , that both you and your descendants may live; (Deuteronomy 30:19)

Ecclesiastes 3:1 tells us there is a time for everything. There is a time to be quiet and a time to speak. — Ecclesiastes 3:7b (NLT) One day as I listened to the chirping of birds, I was amazed that God gave each type of bird a different sound. Just as the birds have a unique sound, He has given to each one of us a unique voice, not to duplicate someone else. Just as John was the voice of one crying out in the wilderness, we are to lift our voice and carry the message He has engraved on our hearts to others. Let us speak words of life that draw others to our heavenly Father and Christ, our Savior. Who needs to hear your voice today? Don’t remain silent, when God has called you to speak out. Wisdom shouts in the streets. She cries out in the public square. (Proverbs 1:20 NLT)

But the ones that fell on the good ground are those who, having heard the word with a noble and good heart, keep it and bear fruit with patience. — Luke 8:15 (NKJV) The bearing of fruit comes with patience. Once we receive the seed, the Word of God, on the good soil of our hearts, we need to develop patience as we wait for the fruit to appear. Just as the farmer waits [expectantly] for the precious harvest from the land, being patient about it, until it receives the early and late rains. (James 5:7 AMP) God’s Word will bear fruit in your life, whether it's the early or late rains, or both. His Word does not return to Him void. Keep watering the seed by speaking words of life over it and protect it from the enemy who wants nothing more than to steal the Word that has been sown in your heart. “But the seed in the good earth—these are the good-hearts who seize the Word and hold on no matter what, sticking with it until there’s a harvest.” (Luke 8:15 MSG) Stick with it! No matter...

But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve... — Joshua 24:15 (NIV) Every day we make a decision to follow the LORD, the world, or our flesh. We choose to walk in the love and grace of God, with every action, and reaction. Let’s challenge ourselves to consistently make better choices. As we grow and mature, we can make better choices with the use of our time, our talents and our money. We can make better choices in the attitudes we display and the words we speak. Choose to speak positive, uplifting words of life. Praise God that He will do the amazing, spectacular things He does, but it is always our responsibility to make better choices. Choose wisely!