THEME: MIND YOUR WORDS
MEMORISE:
Suffer not thy mouth to cause thy flesh to sin; neither soy thou before the angel, that it was on error: wherefore should God be angry at thy voice, and destroy the work of thine hands. Ecclesiastes 5:6
READ: Genesis 35:17-18
17 And it came to pass, when she was in hard labour, that the midwife said unto her, Fear not; thou shalt have this son also.
18 And it came to pass, as her soul was in departing, (for she died) that she called his name Benoni: but his father called him Benjamin.
MESSAGE:
Sometimes, our emotions overwhelm us so much that we say things we don't mean to in the heat of the moment. In today's Bible reading, Rachel called her last child 'a child of sorrow' because of the intense pain she went through to deliver him. Thank God Jacob changed that name. You need to be very careful of what you say when you are sad, excited, angry or frustrated, because whatsoever you say may have permanent consequences. Esau sold his birthright to his brother when he was hungry. Be careful of the agreements you enter into when you are desperate, so that you don't live to regret them.
Samson was head over heels in love with Delilah and because of this, he divulged the secret of his power to her. You may not know it but the devil is watching you. He is taking note of your moods and emotions. Once he notices that you always talk without restraint, he will set you up to say the wrong thing at the wrong time. Judges11:30-31 says:
*"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."*
In the passage above, the devil had seen the fear and doubt in Jephthah, so he suggested that Jephthah should promise God a sacrifice of anything he saw first upon his return. Without thinking, Jephthah made that promise. On getting home however, the devil arranged for his only daughter to be the one he saw first. If only he had thought deeply about the vow before saying it!
Don't become a victim of your own words; think carefully before you say anything. If you find yourself at a family function and you have the opportunity to speak to your relatives, think carefully before you speak. Don't assume all your family members are your friends; remember, Joseph was sold by his blood brothers because of the dreams he shared with them (Genesis 37:5-28).
God will help you.
ACTION POINT:
Make it a habit to always think carefully before you talk.
HYMN 11: I NEED THEE EVE'RY HOUR
1. I need Thee every hour,
most gracious Lord;
No tender voice like Thine
can peace afford.
Refrain:
I need Thee, oh, I need Thee;
Every hour I need Thee;
Oh, bless me now, my Saviour,
I come to Thee.
2. I need Thee every hour,
stay Thou nearby;
Temptations lose their pow’r
when Thou art nigh.
3. I need Thee every hour,
in joy or pain;
Come quickly and abide,
or life is vain.
4. I need Thee every hour;
teach me Thy will;
And Thy rich promises
in me fulfill.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
Deuteronomy 5-7
AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE
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