Lethal Tongue

(This reading is based on Psalm 64 and is read in accordance with the Revived by His Word initiative of the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists.)

 "Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my strength, and my redeemer."  Ps 19: 14

Words are piercing; they come from deep within one individual (Ps. 64: 6) and they penetrate to the depths of another's soul.

Life-Giving Words

Words sometimes convey the tidings of life that inspire hope and solace. Jesus says in John 6: 63, "...the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are LIFE." Job 4: 4 says, "Thy words have upholden him that was falling, and thou hast strengthened the feeble knees."

Lethal Words

Words sometimes kill. And although words can sometimes lead to one's physical death, there's a death caused by words though is often worse than conventional death. Words can kill joy, hope, purpose, the essence of life, the very motivation to go on. And all this happens while a person is still breathing and feeling. It's like watching some wild life documentary where predators begin eating the flesh of their prey while they are yet alive. It's bad enough when they kill their prey first, but it's way worse to watch and imagine that the prey is feeling every devouring rip of teeth into its flesh.

Warning

For those of us who would speak evil of others (the innocent), "Who sharpen their tongues like a sword," we would do well to remember that, "The word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart." Heb 4: 12. God will speak on the behalf of the innocent/the vulnerable. And to the evil speakers the word is, "But God shall shoot at them with an arrow," (Ps 64: 7). So be warned, when you shoot your words, God will be shooting back.

Resolve/Prayer

Father, we join David in an earlier prayer, "Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my strength, and my redeemer," (Ps 19: 14). Amen.

To read and/or listen to Psalm 64, and to read other related blogs, please click here.