Friday, March 23, 2007

Fear....

...a remedy for an unbridled tongue. If there is something I pray regularly for forgiveness..it is for my tongue. And the truth is my tongue speaks what is in the heart...the Bible tells me this. Even though my words may not in themselves spew the anger, it is in my tone and on my face. "You drive me crazy!..I don't know what to do with you anymore...I give up...You are so clumsy, Grrrr grrr grrr" and many more phrases and groans and yells *sigh* It really is embarrassing. I'm like a grown up toddler throwing a temper tantrum if I am inconvenienced by my children or my husband or hurt by something probably imagined...
Psa 111:10 "The fear of the LORD [is] the beginning of wisdom: a good understanding have all they that do [his commandments]: his praise endureth for ever." The Lord answered a prayer for wisdom to overcome the sin which pours out in my words...it starts with a reverent fear. I was given that today as I studied the Judge Jepthah. I have read this account before, but I can't tell you how, the truth of the weight of words and how I will give an account for every word I speak, hit me today as never before. Past words spoken in anger came flooding back as I studied the account. I finished reading it in tears.
Judges 11:31,34-36,39 "And Jephthah vowed a vow unto the LORD, and said, If thou shalt without fail deliver the children of Ammon into mine hands,Then it shall be, that whatsoever cometh forth of the doors of my house to meet me, when I return in peace from the children of Ammon, shall surely be the LORD'S, and I will offer it up for a burnt offering...And Jephthah came to Mizpeh unto his house, and, behold, his daughter came out to meet him with timbrels and with dances: and she [was his] only child; beside her he had neither son nor daughter.And it came to pass, when he saw her, that he rent his clothes, and said, Alas, my daughter! thou hast brought me very low, and thou art one of them that trouble me: for I have opened my mouth unto the LORD, and I cannot go back.And it came to pass at the end of two months, that she returned unto her father, who did with her [according] to his vow which he had vowed..." Oh how my heart just aches when I read this today. Jepthah died in his sorrow over his words... I have said much worse..I am broken.

James 3:5-6 "Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth! 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." boldness added for emphasis."... and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell." That is just...I don't even have words.

There is a full course meal given in these two verses alone that has moved my heart to be broken...and I know that I have not even scratched the surface. I am so thankful the Lord exposes sins that I have not taken seriously enough. Sure, I repent after angry words and tones, but I don't LOOK at it and see the "course" it sets that cannot be turned back! It hurts terribly to look at my sin in a true light, but God's grace is so good and His mercy will never fail me. I am so thankful. There aren't words for the sorrow I have concerning the weight of the words I have spoken over the years that I can never take back. Praise the Lord for the Wisdom given in my fear..may I have the understanding to do and say what is right today because I can't undo the "course of nature"-once the fire of a lose tongue is set -it burns and unfathomable damage is done to whatever it touches.

6 comments:

Kristi said...

The story of Jepthah has always marveled me. And I can relate with you on the tongue issue. As a matter of fact, I had asked a couple of my friends to pray for me that I would learn to hold my tongue more often. A couple of weeks later, one of those friends gave me a small jewelry box (like the kind a necklace would be in) and inside that box was a paper cut out of a tongue. She told me I could hold it whenever I needed to. I carry it in my pocketbook all the time.

Something that always got me about this story was the fact that if I had been his daughter, I would have run for the hills. But never in the Scripture does it say she fought her father on his vow. Even she knew how important her father's words had been.

~Kristi

Heather said...

That is a neat idea about the tongue! About his daughter..yes, how sad that she had two months and then she willingly paid the price for her father's vow.-Heather

Grafted Branch said...

What a profound post...thank you for the inspiration and direction in opening His Word tonight.

On the one hand, we have to be so careful about the vows we make to the Lord. We cannot make them lightly (or maybe at all).

On the other hand though, His mercies are new every morning, and His Son died to relieve us of the course we set by way of our sin. Praise God!

I also found some articles that suggest some good arguments as to how this unGodly vow was redeemed according to Mosaic law, and the daughter who mourned her virginity may have been doing so because she was to be sacrificed to a life of celibacy in the name of God -- not physical death.

????? I love when God gives me a specific question to seek and study after!

Heather said...

Thank you GB...I would love to study that closer. Yes, PTL that our wages of death have been paid for...and that would be a VERY good study concerning the sacrifice of the daughter... ???yes..more study

Jenn said...

Yes, my tongue is my biggest struggle. I am going to read the account you mentioned, I do not remember that one. Thanks!

Jenn

Mishel said...

I can *very* much relate to the struggle with our tongues. The Lord has been dealing with me on this one for a long time, and while I am so thankful there have been victories...there is *still* much work to be done. Thank you for the scripture and for an exellent post. : )