shadow

Watch Out for Hidden Quills

“For nothing is hidden that will not become evident, nor anything secret that will not be known and come to light.”
Luke 8:17 NASB

While living in the small town of Medicine Bow, Wyoming, we were never far from wide open spaces. We had two dogs at the time, Hosanna, a chow-lab mix, and Shadow, a purebred registered Great Pyrenees. Though not a common occurrence, both dogs escaped from our fenced in yard and went missing one afternoon. Fortunately for us, after futile attempts to find them, they returned home a few days later. Their wanderings had left them hungry, filthy dirty, and suffering from a run-in with a porcupine – ouch! Both snouts were pricked with quills, and it was an arduous task removing them.

Several weeks passed and we noticed a bump forming on Hosanna’s nose. You guessed it. A piece of quill had obviously broken off and become imbedded and was working its way out. Eventually, the site festered, and with much effort and apparent discomfort to Hosanna, we were able to remove the culprit.

All too often, just like our pets, we are tempted to drift outside the boundaries God has put in place for our safety. For whatever reason, whether it be willful or ignorant disobedience, we stray from God’s truths. We come face to face with sin, and sometimes it wins. As a loving caretaker, God patiently removes the painful offences when we return and yield to Him.

However, just like porcupine quills, hidden sin can bury itself deep within our hearts. We can ignore it and pretend it isn’t there. Hidden from others, it can easily go undetected – for a while.  But eventually, the ugliness will surface and fester and spew itself from deep within. Don’t be fooled – nothing is ever hidden from God. And He will one day bring it to the light.

King David, a man after God’s own heart, yet familiar with playing with temptation, offers us great hope in Psalm 19:12-13. Look at his declaration to God for help, and let it be your prayer today and always:

“How can I know all the sins lurking in my heart? Cleanse me from these hidden faults. Keep your servant from deliberate sins! Don’t let them control me. Then I will be free of guilt and      innocent of great sin.” (NLT)

[Digging deeper – Psalm 10:11, 69:5, 139:23-24; Isaiah 29:15; Daniel 2:22; 2 Corinthians 4:2]

Watching and praying,

Beverly <><

 

 

 

Photo Credit: Photo Pl000809 by Jane Schlossberg (https://www.flickr.com/photos/jschlossberg) via freeforcommericialuse.org

Part 5, Name That Tongue – Healing or Hurting?

“A gentle tongue [with its healing power] is a tree of life, but willful contrariness in it breaks down the spirit.”
Proverbs 15:4 AMP 

I watched a movie recently called Parental Guidance starring Billy Crystal (as Artie) and Bette Midler (as Diane). As grandparents, they had pretty much failed due to misunderstandings between them and their only child.  Artie had also lost his dream job as a baseball announcer and was eagerly hoping for an audition with another team. In the meantime, Artie and Diane had an opportunity to watch their three grandkids for a week and were eager to redeem themselves in the sight of the family.

One of my favorite scenes is an honest discourse between Diane and Artie. Everything has gone wrong, and they seemingly have failed at being responsible grandparents in the eyes of their daughter. Here is the dialogue.

Diane:  I followed you for 35 years, Artie. Wherever you needed to be, that’s where I was. No complaints. Well, some. But this week … this week was supposed to be about us and our grandchildren. Not you. Not you. Did you have to go to that audition?

Artie:  It’s not one of my better moments.

Diane expressed her true feelings and spoke words of hard truth. However, how she said them made all the difference. She didn’t rant and rave over the fact that she was right. Nor did she become a drama queen and make him feel bad with her tears. Artie realized his selfishness and responded appropriately, admitting his wrong.

Our words, according to Proverbs, can bring healing or harm depending on what and how we say them. God dealt with me years ago about my tainted tongue. He used the following verse to convict my heart of the damage I was doing, especially toward my loved ones.

“There is one who speaks rashly like the thrusts of a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.” Proverbs 12:18, NASB

 

Ouch! That’s a hard one, but one I revisit often to keep my lips under control. I don’t want my speech to cut and wound due to my uncaring thoughtlessness. Instead, I long for God to bring life and health to others through my communication.

 

It’s never too late for a tongue check-up. Ask the Holy Spirit to help you speak with soothing sweetness and control. Seek to be pleasant and gentle in all you say. It takes practice, but it’s so worth it.         [Digging deeper – Psalm 57:4; Prov. 15:26b; 16:21, 23-24, 31:26]

Taming the tongue,

Beverly <><

 

 

Photo Credit: Image courtesy of worradmu at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Part 4, Zip Those Lips!

“Too much talk leads to sin. Be sensible and keep your mouth shut.”
Proverbs 10:19 NLT

Ever had one of those moments in life when a loved one or girlfriend sought your advice, then turned around and did exactly what you had warned against? To make matters worse, you responded with the never-ending tirade of questions and the numerous reasons why she should have listened to you. The more you spoke, the worse it got. She was feeling great remorse, but you just kept crushing her spirit into the ground. I must confess; I have been guilty of such talk.

Chances are I’m not alone. After all, we women need to speak on average about 20,000 words a day, you know. However, that doesn’t excuse what Proverbs calls a sin producer – too much talk! Like today’s verse, sometimes we need to zip our lips.

A similar temptation we often face is what I’ll call ‘whispering words’. You know, those juicy bits of gossip someone shares and before you know it, you’re doing  the same thing in the name of a prayer request. We would be wise to heed the warning

in Proverbs 26:22 NASB:

 

“The words of a whisperer are like dainty morsels, and they go down into the innermost parts  of the body.”

 

Just like a delicious piece of chocolate pecan toffee or a delectable bite of cheesecake that we savor and swallow, so are our whispering words. They go deep into the heart of the hearer. Before we damage another person’s reputation, we would be wise to hold our tongues.

Oftentimes, we mean well in our verbosity. We so want to help, but instead we may be guilty of quenching the work of the Holy Spirit. Oswald Chambers shares some wise counsel in My Utmost for His Highest – Aug. 1st:

          Are we playing the spiritual amateur providence in other lives? Are we so noisy in our   instruction of others that God cannot get anywhere near them? We have to keep our mouths   shut and our spirits alert.

The next time you find yourself lending a listening ear for a troubled soul, ask the Holy Spirit to give you discernment. He will give you the words if you need to speak; He will also help you hold your tongue if you need to keep quiet. Beloved sisters, let’s be found sensible as we watch what we say.

[Digging deeper – Prov. 13:3, 17:27-28, 21:23, 26:20; Eccl. 3:7b]

Zipping the lips,

Beverly <><