Daily Devotional for Tuesday, March 12

How the Tongue Can Control Things

“Behold, we put bits in the horses’ mouths, that they may obey us; and we turn about their whole body. Behold also the ships, which though they be so great, and are driven of fierce winds, yet are they turned about with a very small helm, whithersoever the governor listeth,” James 3:3, 4.

Death is often illustrated in wildlife by predator and prey. We are the prey, and Satan is the predator. One of the ways that he harms us is by the words that we say. Often, our words are traps that are laid before us, hidden along the path of life. Satan is always tempting us to speak from a place of sin, hurt and brokenness so that later he can trap us with the words we have uttered.

How many times have we said something hurtful about somebody and, later on, we regretted it? How many hurts have been caused in our family because we decided to not speak with love and kindness, but instead we spoke with hatred or bitterness? How many wars in the world are continuing now because forgiveness is not on the tip of our tongues, but vengeance is? These are the traps that Satan lays before us that bring destruction and death in their wake.

The tongue is also a great revealer of the condition of the heart. Matthew 12:34 states, “O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.” When slander, gossip, hurtful words or cursing come through our lips, they are a profound revelation that our hearts are not healthy. So, taming our tongues is a much deeper discipline than just the words we speak. Taming the tongue is a matter of the heart.

THOUGHT FOR TODAY
If we can learn to control our tongues, it is likely that we will have greater self-control in every area of our lives.

Steven Ridings