…but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be.   

James 3:8-10

That tiny little muscle in our mouth—how powerful it is. In the New Testament, James compares the tongue to a horse’s bit and a ship’s rudder. What awesome metaphors to visualize its formidable control. Oh, but controlling it is a whole other matter.

As a Christian, I love to praise the Lord with songs and hymns. I lift up my family and friends daily in prayer, professing my hopes but yielding to His will. When I spend time in God’s Word, amazed by how He can speak to me afresh through verses I’ve read time and time again, I give Him thanks for conviction and edification. And I use my written words in an effort to glorify the Lord—not really a tongue-initiated exercise, per se, but the keyboard certainly becomes a tool of my tongue. 

Now, before you start rolling your eyes thinking how holier-than-thou I must think I am, keep reading.

This same lil’ tongue of mine lashes out at those I love in frustration and impatience, causing pain not easily assuaged. An unsuspecting customer service person on the other end of the phone line can be the recipient of angry, accusatory words. And, as hard as I try to avoid talking about politics or the current cultural upheaval, when engagement in these topics occurs, my tongue takes on a whole life of its own, spewing words of disgust and hatred. In fact, in these scenarios (and many others, believe you me), should a stranger hear the words flowing from my tongue, “Christ-follower” would probably not be the first label they’d mentally stick on me.

As James writes, no human being can tame the tongue. It is too powerful. And our fallen state—our sin nature—has steeped our tongue with poison, like tea colors every water molecule in a mug. Once surrendered to Jesus, we do use our tongues to give glory to God. It’s a joy and our desire. But, just like the Apostle Paul talked about doing what he doesn’t want to do because of the constant battle with the flesh (Romans 7:15-20), we will struggle with this little muscle as long as it’s in our fallen body. 

Thankfully, we’re not in this battle alone. As believers, we have the Holy Spirit to help us tame our tongue. By yielding to Him, He will take control, placing a guard over our mouth when we ask Him to (Psalm 141:3). The more we surrender to the Holy Spirit, the less power our flesh has…and the “fruitier” our lives—and words—become (Galatians 5:2-23).

For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Romans 6:23

As this year is coming to end, my chronological reading of the Bible has brought me to the Gospel accounts of Jesus’ crucifixion. And amid the various emotions stirred by the events (bewilderment, shock, and grief, to name a few), the one that always floats to the top is overwhelming gratefulness. 

With each author’s telling, we’re astounded to hear the crowds calling out for Christ’s death just hours after they shouted words of adulation upon His entry into Jerusalem. But there is a piece of the story that may be brushed by in the reading, as our anticipation turns our focus to Calvary.

Just prior to Pontius Pilot asking what he should do with Jesus, and the crowd’s condemning response, the governor asked them which prisoner he should release to fulfill their Passover custom. Their choice was for a man named Barabbas, a murderous insurrectionist. Although these events are penned in all four Gospels, it’s Matthew’s account (27:16-26) that transports me into the shoes of this imprisoned criminal. 

See, Barabbas was probably sitting in a cell not far from where Pilate was talking with the people. And I envision him focused on the commotion but hearing only the loud shouts of the crowd—not the words of Pilate. Barabbas knows he’s a bad guy. And he knows a prisoner will be released. So, as I sit with him behind those bars, this is what we hear: “Barabbas!” … pause … ”Crucify him!” Despite his criminal mind and murderous heart, he was, I imagine, terrified by the horrific penalty awaiting him…crucifixion. As the guards approach his cell, the weight of his impending punishment may even have brought him to tears.

But then the Roman guard opens the locked door and tells Barabbas to get out. Astounded and confused, he might have asked what happened, to which the guard may have said, “Jesus is being crucified—you’re free.” And maybe, just maybe, at the moment Barabbas was walking out of that cell, his path crossed that of Jesus being taken away to be flogged, tortured, and nailed to a cross. And perhaps, for a fleeting moment, their eyes met during that Great Exchange.

Brothers and sisters, let this sink in for a moment. We deserve to pay the ultimate price—death—for our sins (Romans 6:23). But we have been freed. Jesus Christ took on our wrongdoings and served our sentence. He sacrificed Himself, dying an excruciating death in our place, so we can live. His blood covers our debt and washes us as white as snow (Isaiah 1:18). Because of Jesus, when we, offenders like Barabbas, stand in front of God our Judge, we will not be condemned. Instead, He will look at us and say, “Your penalty has been paid in full. You are free.”

For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is His mercy toward those who fear Him. As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our wrongdoings from us.

Psalm 103:11-12

If you set out to go north from Lynchburg, Virginia (where I sit as I write this), you can travel exactly 3,641 miles until you start going south. Or you can head south from here, but once you’ve gone 8,789 miles, you will—as you’ve probably guessed—turn northward. 

But how far can you travel west until you’re going east? Or, likewise, how many miles would you have to go east until you’re heading west? That’s kind of a trick question, because the answer is: you don’t. When you turn and move east from anywhere and keep going eastward, no matter how far you go, you’ll never run out of east. Same thing going the other way: You cannot go to the end of “west.” It’s hard to wrap your head around, isn’t it?

This fact makes God’s promise to us in Psalm 103 even more astounding. In verse 12, we’re told He has removed our transgressions from us “as far as the east is from the west.” Through His amazing grace and the work of Jesus on the Cross, our sins are forgiven—we are made righteous in the sight of God. And at that moment, He casts our sins—past, present, and future—into the depths of the sea (Micah 7:19), never to be brought up again (Hebrews 8:12).

Brothers and sisters, please let this sink in. When we accept Jesus as our Savior and ask for forgiveness, He forgives us. And He does not keep bringing up our wrongdoings. So, when your mind and heart are being pummeled with disgrace, or if you’re dragging around heavy shackles of shame wherever you go (think Marley in “A Christmas Carol”), know this is not of your heavenly Father! This is a tool of your enemy whose goal is your discouragement. He wants you to doubt how wide, how long, how high, and how deep the love of Christ is toward you (Ephesians 3:18). He wants you to look in the mirror each day and see filthy stains of your sin, not the cleansed, white-as-snow vision of beauty you are through Jesus (1 John 1:9, Psalm 51:7).

Certainly, we may have to live out the consequences of our sinful choices and carry the scars. But I pray these serve as reminders of God’s love and forgiveness toward us—not constant condemnation as your enemy would prefer. And may we use them as a means to share the Truth of the Gospel with others. 

Lord, I am so thankful for Your forgiveness—and Providential forgetfulness. Help me walk in the freedom of this Truth and share it unreservedly with others.

Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.    

James 1:2-4

Some people believe, mostly because of false teachers, that when they give their lives to Jesus, the Christian life will be easy—a cake walk. And it strikes me that despite the use of this idiom, its origin may be unfamiliar. A cake walk is a party game where everyone gets a delicious dessert just by walking in a circle—it’s an easy win. And this is a perfect description for the lies within the “prosperity gospel” teaching: If you have enough faith, you’ll be healthy, rich, and deliriously happy. It’s an easy win, when it comes to worldly treasures and desires.

The problem with this approach to the Christian life is that it’s not Biblical—and Jesus taught quite the opposite. “In this world, you will have trouble,” He told His followers (John 16:33). And before His own brutal death, He warned His friends that they will be arrested, beaten, even killed for following Him. Family members will even turn against family members for the sake of the Truth of Jesus (Mark 13:9-13). James also tells us to count it all joy when we have trials—not if, but when (1:2-4).

Throughout the Old and New Testaments, the men and women following closely after God typically “lost” at the world’s game in order to achieve the ultimate Win.

In addition to this warning, the Word of God also provides a lot of encouragement! When life gets challenging, overwhelming, anxiety-producing, and just plain hard, God has promised to be our strength and help. Here are just a few on which we can cling:

• God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore, we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging. (Psalm 46:1-3) 
• So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with My righteous right hand. (Isaiah 41:10) 
• The Lord is a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble. (Psalm 9:9-10) 
• My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness. (2 Corinthians 12:9)
• But the Lord is faithful, and He will strengthen and protect you from the evil one.  (Thessalonians 3:3)

But the best news of all? Despite what sufferings and challenges we endure in this life, those of us who have surrendered our lives to Jesus do—in fact—win. And I’d like to think that when we sit down together at the Marriage Supper of the Lamb, there will be lots and lots of delicious cake.

Lord, when trials come—because they will—may I rely on the promise of Your strength and sufficiency.

Psalm 10

Why do You stand far away, Lord?
Why do You hide Yourself in times of trouble?
In arrogance the wicked hotly pursue the needy;
Let them be caught in the plots which they have devised.

For the wicked boasts of his soul’s desire,
And the greedy person curses and shows disrespect to the Lord.
The wicked, in his haughtiness, does not seek Him.
There is no God in all his schemes.

His ways succeed at all times;
Yet Your judgments are on high, out of his sight;
As for all his enemies, he snorts at them.
He says to himself, “I will not be moved;
Throughout the generations I will not be in adversity.”
His mouth is full of cursing, deceit, and oppression;
Under his tongue is harm and injustice.
He sits in the lurking places of the villages;
He kills the innocent in the secret places;
His eyes surreptitiously watch for the unfortunate.
He lurks in secret like a lion in his lair;
He lurks to catch the needy;
He catches the needy when he pulls him into his net.
Then he crushes the needy one, who cowers;
And unfortunate people fall by his mighty power.
He says to himself, “God has forgotten;
He has hidden His face; He will never see it.”

Arise, Lord; God, lift up Your hand.
Do not forget the humble.
Why has the wicked treated God disrespectfully?
He has said to himself, “You will not require an account.”
You have seen it, for You have looked at harm and provocation to take it into Your hand.
The unfortunate commits himself to You;
You have been the helper of the orphan.
Break the arm of the wicked and the evildoer,
Seek out his wickedness until You find none.

The Lord is King forever and ever;
Nations have perished from His land.
Lord, You have heard the desire of the humble;
You will strengthen their heart, You will make Your ear attentive
To vindicate the orphan and the oppressed,
So that mankind, which is of the earth, will no longer cause terror.

But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive.

Genesis 50:20

Do you ever wake up with a worship song on your heart and mind? I love when this happens, as it makes me smile to think of God’s promise in His Word to quiet me with His love and rejoice over me with singing (Zephaniah 3:17). In fact, I woke up this morning with a praise song refrain repeating in my mind: “You take what the enemy meant for evil, and You turn it for good.” 

“See a Victory” is the name of the song. Now, I’m not going to digress by pointing out theological issues with other lyrical elements of this song or its origin church and writers. I’ll stick with the refrain at hand, which is based on Genesis 50:20. This proclamation of Joseph to his evil-meaning brothers comes after they, years earlier, planned to kill him but changed their minds and sold him into slavery instead. But the ongoing saga is pretty amazing, and I recommend you read the whole story of Joseph’s rise based on his hard work and integrity, his fall based on lies and false accusations, his rise to leadership again—even while in prison—and his ultimate placement over all the land (Genesis 37-47). 

Joseph was honest, trustworthy, worked hard, and did his best wherever he was placed. But, most importantly, Joseph honored God as the basis for his efforts (Gen 39:9), and the Lord was with him (Gen 39:3, 21, 23). 

Friends, this world is run by the enemy, and there is plenty of evil—and evildoers. People, more than ever, are without moral boundaries and do whatever it takes to get what they want and please themselves. They don’t care if they have to lie, cheat, or steal, as long as they get their way. You may have experienced this on the job: You work hard, with integrity, but someone else gets the promotion. Or your child works hard (on their own) on a science project only to be beaten out for the blue ribbon by a kid whose parent did their work for them. 

But we cannot control the way others choose to function. We, as followers of Jesus Christ, can simple love and serve God first and foremost. Everything we do—in our family, at work, socially—we must do as for the Lord (Colossians 3:17, 23). Our words and actions must be aligned with God’s Word—so we must know God’s Word! 

Even by doing the right thing, we will lose battles. We’ll be overlooked at work (even lied about and mocked). We may lose friends. Joseph went to jail for being righteous, and so may we. But, brothers and sisters, have faith! The enemy’s reign is short-lived in light of eternity. What is meant for evil in this world, will be used for God’s ultimate glory. Even if we can’t see a victory on the horizon, God wins—and, ultimately, so will we. 

“Don’t you remember the five loaves for the five thousand, and how many basketfuls you gathered? Or the seven loaves for the four thousand, and how many basketfuls you gathered?”

Matthew 16:9-10

Don’t you just love the timeliness of God’s Word? For me, there are mornings of reading when the verses seem written directly to me, for that exact moment. And, I’m grateful for the consistency (and repetition) of Truth throughout the Bible. Especially when it comes to trusting God.

In the Old Testament, we can read how the Israelites experienced miracle after miracle yet continued to doubt and be anxious about their future. They were wondrously provided fresh food daily (Exodus 16), but feared they’d die of thirst (Exodus 17:3)—whining and complaining, and pining for “the good ole days,” despite promises made and kept. Ouch.

Lately, I’ve been reading the gospels chronologically. The consistency and repetition of events is always astounding, and, when it occurs, it’s like God’s adding exclamation points to the message. Remembering and trusting the Lord’s power and provision “happened” to be one of those points for me in recent days. 

We all have probably heard about the “fishes and loaves”—it’s a story that’s often used by the nonbelieving world to exemplify ample provision. Rightly so. But you may not know that there are two fishes and loaves events. First, after Jesus was teaching a huge crowd of 5000 men (plus their families), He had compassion on them and told his disciples to feed them. Finding only five loaves and two fishes, they brought these morsels to Jesus, and He fed everyone—having his guys collect 12 baskets full of leftovers. (Matthew 14:13-21; Mark 6:30-34; Luke 9:10-17; John 6:1-15). How awesome is that? Surely, His disciples thought, “Man, we’ll never go hungry again with Jesus around!”

Well…

It wasn’t that much later when a similar scenario presented itself to the disciples. The crowds had been following Jesus to hear His teaching and experience healing for several days in a row, so He told His guys, again, to feed them all. Did they look at each other, excitedly, and say, “Cool! Who’s got a couple bits of bread and fish, so we can get this party started?!” Uh, no.

Despite witnessing miracle after miracle. Despite walking around with God Himself, they said to Jesus, “Where could we get enough bread in this remote place to feed such a crowd?” (Matthew 15:33) And so the scenario was repeated. Except, here, there were 4000 men (and their families); the disciples scrounged up seven loaves and a few fish, fed everyone, and then filled up seven baskets of leftovers (Matthew 15:32-39; Mark 8:1-10). (Later, Jesus even gently reprimanded them of their forgetfulness in Matthew 16:9-10.)

Does that ever happen to you? You experience the faithfulness of God’s provision, yet, even when the exact same scenario comes up, you wring your hands in worry and cry out, “Lord, how is this ever going to work out? It’s a doomed situation, I know it!” Yup, I’ve been there, done that.

Just like with the disciples, we have seen miracle after miracle. And although we’re not walking with physical Jesus, we, as believers, have the Holy Spirit in us as we spiritually walk with Jesus—this is a gift even the disciples didn’t have.

Friends, let’s not be forgetful people like the Israelites in the desert and the disciples during Jesus’s earthly ministry. Let’s revisit and rehearse the amazing miracles the Lord has shown us in our lives. Let’s stand on the promises of His Word, His unending faithfulness, and His daily mercies. Let’s continue to trust in all things working together for our good and His glory (Romans 8:28).

For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him.

Colossians 1:16

Sadly, walking our two dogs through our neighborhood every morning is not always a pleasant experience. More often than not, it’s incredibly stressful, between other dogs being walked, dogs held on a leash in their yard by way-too-small children, roaming cats, deer…it’s kind of like those old drivers ed films where there’s constantly some new object popping out to be defensively dodged. (Some of you are probably thinking, “What in the world is she talking about?”) 

Anyway, at the end of our street there’s a big, mean black dog in a corner yard. He’s got an electric fence—this we know. But as soon as we approach the yard, he viciously charges to the edge of the grass with the desire to devour our dogs. It is terrifying. Of course, our dogs bark back ferociously as we practically drag them quickly beyond the lot. 

When we see him standing there in the midst of his territory, we anxiously prepare for the confrontation. We tightly wrap the leashes around our hands, pulling our dogs close. We walk on the other side of the street—and we quicken our pace. But many times, we don’t see him lurking about. He’s hiding behind a woodpile or bush, watching us and waiting. And because we don’t see him, we let our guard down. We hold loosely to the leashes and walk by without the vigilance we have when we see him there. As you can imagine, when he comes rushing out, we have to react quickly to avoid a bloody confrontation. 

What’s the spiritual point here? That dog is like Satan (no offense to the owner). Just like that big black dog has run of his territory, the Evil One has run of his: this world. So, take heed! If you wander into his yard, he will devour you. He hates you. Sometimes we’ll see him coming, but often, we won’t. In fact, analogous to the dog scenario, we must, instead, stay vigilant at all times. We must walk as far from his temptations as possible, crossing the proverbial street by saying “no” to certain activities and people. 

But friends, remember, he can only go so far! As with that electric fence, God has set limits on Satan—where he can go and what he can do. He is not an equal-yet-evil entity to our Lord—he’s just a dog who thinks he’s in control. Yes, we must be attentive and aware of the enemy’s schemes (1 Peter 5:8) and put on the full armor of God (Ephesians 6:11-17). But we can—and must—be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power (Ephesians 6:10), knowing that He is in control of it all. 

“Lord, let me always be on guard to the enemy’s desire for my destruction…but may I also remember that he is just a dog on a chain, destined for his own annihilation.”

One thing I know: that though I was blind, now I see.      

John 9:25

As Christians, we are called to tell others about Jesus—to go and make disciples (Matthew 28:19). And, as much as we love Him and have surrendered to Him, it can be intimidating to share our faith in Him. We’re afraid of questions that might come at us that we’re not equipped to answer right away. We think, “Well, until I’m a Bible scholar or have apologetics down to a tee, I better not broach this subject with others.” (I can’t tell you how many apologetics speakers I’ve heard—and how many of their books I’ve bought from their post-teaching “tables in the foyer” in efforts to prepare to talk about Jesus.)

Or, perhaps, we fear people won’t like us or that they’ll think we’re crazy because of our zeal for Jesus. Maybe, we believe we’ll lose friends or even lose our job. (These scenarios, by the way, are all very real possibilities.)

That being said, there’s some great news! To tell others about the saving grace of Jesus Christ, we don’t have to be Bible scholars. Of course, we all need to be in the Word every day, familiar with how every book and chapter point to Jesus, and how it is the inerrant Word of God, clearly providing do’s, don’ts, and what’s-going-to-happen-ifs.

But we don’t have to have all the answers! If a question comes our way that stumps us, we can simply say, “That’s a great question! Let me look into it, and I’ll get back with you.” Then, through the miracle of the internet (or through pastors, mentors, and, of course, the Bible itself), we research and find the answer to share with that person.

Now, if you’re still daunted—I get it, believe me—then let’s just lean into a simple verse from John. “One thing I know: that though I was blind, now I see.” (John 9:25) Because, for every single believer, that’s the foundational truth of our faith, isn’t it? We were once blind to the Truth, and now we see! We were once slaves to our sin nature, and now we’re free (John 8:36)! 

Whatever your story, you were transformed. For me, it was a gradual realization, a pulling away of a veil, so to speak. For some of you, it was a specific date and time—a lightning-bolt moment—when you gave your life over to the Way, the Truth, and the Life. But for all of us, we were one way before (blind!) and another way after (seeing).

And this is what others need to know. This is the power of our great and awesome God. The miracle of transformation…how the Lord takes our sins, which stain us, and makes them white as snow (Isaiah 1:18). When we confess our sins, He makes us clean (1 John 1:9).

So, brothers and sisters, let’s not be ashamed (Romans 1:16) or afraid of sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ. Like the healed blind man, let’s stand boldly on a truth that even the best debater in the world cannot successfully dispute with us: Because of His amazing grace, we were lost, and now we’re found.

And then (Jesus) added, “It is what comes from inside that defiles you. For from within, out of a person’s heart, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, wickedness, deceit, lustful desires, envy, slander, pride, and foolishness. All these vile things come from within; they are what defile you.”

Mark 7:20-23

Our culture is very concerned about health and youth. Now, that’s not a terrible thing, as we need to take good care of the body—the temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor 6:19)—given to us. But it’s a little nutty to be obsessed about it. (Friends, don’t get me wrong, I’ve been there, done that—just ask my husband.) And then there’s the fixation to continue lookingyoung, despite the years flying by. The lengths some people will go to…

Anyway, you’ve probably been around people who won’t put this or that in their mouth (sugar, carbs, etc.) because they believe it will defile their body. You may be one of those people. (When it comes to alcohol, I’m one of those people—but that’s a story for another time.) What really matters, Jesus teaches us, is not what goes into our bodies, but what comes out. Specifically, it’s what comes out of our mouth.

See, our words overflow from what fills our heart and mind (Luke 6:45). Especially when our mouth is “unguarded” in times of stress or high emotion—or when we think no one is listening. What we constantly watch, read, and “social-media-ize” about pour into us, setting a foundation, so to speak, from which we respond to life. Solomon, in all his wisdom, says the same thing when he exhorts us to guard our heart, because everything we do flows from it (Proverbs 4:23). 

How then do we guard our heart? By filling up with that which is holy. By reading God’s Word every day. By walking with wise—not fools (Proverbs 13:20). By avoiding trashy television and movies that slowly numb us into thinking, “Well, that’s not so bad.” By unplugging from the constant venomous social engagement of our time. We guard our heart by following the Apostle Paul’s thinking to-do list in Philippians chapter 4.

So, I think we could safely say that what goes in leads to defilement, because, as we fill up with junk, that junk will eventually overflow out of us—in attitude, word, and action. This makes me think of a non-Biblical idiom you may have heard before that originated from the IT world. But I think it makes a nice tweetable summary of Jesus’s teaching on this topic: Garbage in, garbage out.

“Lord, I pray that I fill my life with righteousness and pursue holiness, so that the deep spring of my heart will overflow in a way that only brings You glory.”