OUR DAILY BREAD : WHAT WE TALK ABOUT

[cimi]

July 17
Wednesday


WHAT WE
TALK ABOUT

READ :
PALM 19
____________________________________________________________________________________

Let the words of
my mouth and the
meditation of my
heart be acceptable
in Your sight,
O LORD. __Psalm 19:14
____________________________________________________________________________________

perhaps you are familiar with the saying, "Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people." Admittedly, there are ways to speak of people that can honor them. But this saying highlights our darker experiences. In a world of ever-present media-social and professional-we are continually confronted with people's lives at a level of intimacy that can be inappropriate.

Worse, this tidal wave of personal information about others could become grist for our conversational mills to the point that gossip becomes the norm__and not just about the rich and famous. People in our work-places, churches, neighborhoods, and families can also be targets of sharp tongues and feel the pain of discussions that never should have happened.

How can we escape our inclination to use words to hurt others? By recognizing that the ultimate Hearer of our words is God, who longs for us to be better than that. With the psalmist, we can pray, "Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O LORD" (Ps.19-14). When we seek to please God with our conversations about others, we honor Him. With His help, we can glorify Him through what we talk about. __Bill Crowder

`````````````Forgive me, Father, for the times my speech```````````````````
`````````````crosses the line of that which is appropriate.``````````````````
`````````````Help me to understand the power of words,``````````````````
``````````````and give me the wisdom to use them well.``````````````````
__________________________________________________________________________________
It is better to bite your tongue
than to make a biting remark.

*****************Today' Bible Reading __ Psalm 19****************

1 The heavens declare the
glory of God; and the
firmament shows His
handiwork. 2 Day unto day
utters speech, and night
unto night reveals
knowledge. 3 There is no
speech nor language where
their voice is not heard.

4 Their line has gone out
through all the earth, and
their words to the end of
the world....


7 The law of the LORD is
perfect, converting the soul;
the testimony of the LORD
is sure, making wise the
simple; 8 the statutes of the
LORD are right, rejoicing
the heart; the
commandment of the LORD
is pure, enlightening the
eyes; 9 the fear of the LORD
is clean, enduring forever;
the judgments of the LORD
are true and righteous
altogether. 10 More to be
desired are they than gold,
yea, than much fine gold;
sweeter also than honey
and the honeycomb.

11 Moreover by them Your
servant is warned, and in
keeping them there is great
reward.

12 Who can understand his
errors? Cleanse me from
secret faults. Keep back
Your servant also from
presumptuous sins; let them
not have dominion over me.
Then I shall be blameless,
and I shall be innocent of
great transgression.

14 Let the words of my
mouth and the meditation
of my heart be acceptable
in Your sight, O LORD, my
strength and my Redeemer.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>INSIGHT<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

The size of the known universe is mind-boggling. In his book
Miracles, C.S. Lewis commented that its vastness is an obvious
indicator of an infinitely powerful Creator. What a wonder that this
Creator became a man to redeem fallen humans! (John 1:1-12).