Grains of Sand

Job 11-13 Why is it so easy to “see” the sins of others and not our own? Zophar takes up the “Job Challenge” with: Oh, how I wish that God would speak, that he would open his lips against you and disclose to you the secrets of wisdom, for true wisdom has two sides. Know this: God has even forgotten some of your sin ” —Job 11:5, 6. If he and his buddies had prayed that God would give Job wisdom and understanding in the midst of all this trauma rather than judge from their “superior” position, it might have been more useful. They assumed because they thought they knew something that they didn’t. The arrogance is obvious. I suppose this strikes me hard because I am, and have been, listening to the same lofty judgments rendered by some who “know” heaped on others who obviously don’t. “He is not fit for ministry,” is the current popular refrain directed at someone, I admit, who has a lot to learn. But to say he is not fit for ministry is a judgment call only God can make. If these same peop...

Today is Word-Filled Wednesday. For more pictures and the words from THE Word, visit Penny at Pennyraine , our gracious hostess for this week. My fridge produces only green apples, but I pray that my words, spoken, written, or lived, will be what Proverbs 25:11 describes: " A word aptly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver. "

He who opens his mouth is sure to put his foot in it. We laugh, perhaps a little sheepishly. Who hasn't spoken without thinking (or after thinking) and said something that he later wished he could take back. It seems that what comes out of our mouths is no laughing matter to God. Jesus said: " But I tell you that men will have to give an account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken " —Matthew 12:36. What grabs my attention here is the context surrounding His words. He had just finished calling the Pharisees a " brood of vipers " (12:34) for the evil that they continually spoke. I can understand that evil words will be judged. That makes perfectly good sense. But what I take note of is that the Lord didn't say only our evil words would be judged, He made a point of saying that our careless words would be judged. My online dictionary describes " careless " as: not giving sufficient attention or thought to avoiding harm o...