Editor’s Note: The AMI Quiet Times for March 2nd-8th are provided by P. Mark Chun of Radiance Christian Church.
Devotional Thoughts for Today
1 Samuel 14:24-30
24 Now the Israelites were in distress that day, because Saul had bound the people under an oath, saying, “Cursed be anyone who eats food before evening comes, before I have avenged myself on my enemies!” So none of the troops tasted food. 25 The entire army entered the woods, and there was honey on the ground. 26 When they went into the woods, they saw the honey oozing out; yet no one put his hand to his mouth, because they feared the oath. 27 But Jonathan had not heard that his father had bound the people with the oath, so he reached out the end of the staff that was in his hand and dipped it into the honeycomb. He raised his hand to his mouth, and his eyes brightened. 28 Then one of the soldiers told him, “Your father bound the army under a strict oath, saying, ‘Cursed be anyone who eats food today!’ That is why the men are faint.” 29 Jonathan said, “My father has made trouble for the country. See how my eyes brightened when I tasted a little of this honey. 30 How much better it would have been if the men had eaten today some of the plunder they took from their enemies. Would not the slaughter of the Philistines have been even greater?”
When we think about growing in godliness, there are many factors that we can attribute to positive spiritual growth. We think about dedication to reading God’s word, faithfulness in prayer, serving, attending small group, and the list goes on. But one important thing that we often neglect in our pursuit of godliness is watching how we speak. With the exception of the heart and the mind, the tongue is probably the most sinful part of the body. Think of all the sin that comes out of our mouths: lying, slandering, gossip, put downs, cursing, boasting, just to mention a few.
From this story, we can add to that long list, the sin of making rash vows. Saul was an impatient man, and that lack of prudence can be seen in the words that spill out of his mouth with damaging effects. In the end, his oath becomes a curse on his own son. So often, we underestimate how much our words impact the lives of other people. Our words have incredible power, and a misspoken vow, an untimely oath, a passing curse, or even a flippant promise can cause great hurt and damage. How many families, friendships, and congregations have been undone by thoughtless words?
Personally, I didn’t realize how much my speech affected others until my son, Jeremiah, started speaking. When he was just a toddler learning how to talk, we were at home playing with his toys. But when one of them broke, he looked at me, looked at the toy, and then he said, “What a piece of crap!” Now, this might be a humorous example, but it revealed to me how much my words impact what my children say and believe. As we get older, we might think that our words don’t impact people very much; but personally, I believe our words carry more weight with age. If a child says something hurtful, it is easy to dismiss, but when an adult or someone in power misspeaks, it can cause a great deal of pain. Because our words can make such an impact, the Bible is clear that we should watch every word and that all our conversations should be seasoned with grace.
Prayer
Lord, we are a people with unclean lips and prone to hurt one another with the things we say. Help us to grow in this particular area so that our words build others up instead of tearing them down. Reveal to us the sin that comes from our mouths and lead us into repentance.
Bible Reading for Today: Jeremiah 8
Lunch Break Study
Ephesians 4:29-32 (ESV)
29 Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear. 30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31 Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. 32 Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.
Questions to Consider
- What is the importance of saying things at the right time and place?
- Who is ultimately grieved by our corrupt talk?
- How can we put away the clamor, slander, and malice that pollute our speech?
Notes
- Even words that are good in themselves can be injurious when spoken in the wrong circumstance or in the wrong moment. The apostle Paul reminds us that our words should fit the occasion and the person. It takes a great deal of discernment to speak in a way that builds others up consistently.
- In the end, our words prove most painful to the Spirit of God. As much as we may hurt the intended recipient of our sinful dialogue, it is ultimately God that grieves over our misspoken words
- Perhaps, the most effective way to clean up the elements of sin in our speech is to remember to be kind to one another and to have a tender heart for those whom you are speaking with.
Evening Reflection
Is there something you said today that was rash, hurtful, or downright mean? When was the last time you evaluated the content of your speech and confessed them before the Lord? Like the prophet Isaiah, ask the Lord to purify your lips.
When I think of Jonathan, the first word that comes to my mind is “friendship.” Biblically speaking, we know Jonathan was the best friend of David, but even in this passage, we see that friendship was a vital part of Jonathan’s leadership style. It’s not difficult to get people to follow you using force, positional power, or even fear and intimidation, but it is entirely a different matter to have people give you their heart and soul. Clearly, there was something special about Jonathan that attracted people’s undivided friendship and loyalty. Even when faced with an impossible situation where Jonathan’s life hung on the balance, his armor bearer was willing to go with him heart and soul, even to death. Wouldn’t we all benefit from a friendship like this?
We live in a world where patience is losing its value. Remember when the Internet was first introduced, and you could hear the sound of the AOL dial up struggling to make that connection – only to hear your mom picking up the phone and that entire precious waiting wasted in a second? Today, we complain about lagging YouTube videos or long lines. We have entered into an era of instant gratification, and sadly this mindset is plaguing our spiritual lives as well. In many cases, waiting means losing, and we must do whatever it takes to win as self-sufficient people.
When I turned 30, I remember struggling with the concept of legacy, because I thought I had wasted most of my twenties and had accomplished little in my life. By the word “legacy,” I’m referring to the idea of how you will be remembered and whether or not your life has made an impact. As I thought of all the people that I knew who had gone on to become successful in business and other respected professions, for the first time, I seriously gave some reflection on what I was leaving behind as a pastor. In hindsight, maybe I was overly self-critical because I was reading the biographies of people who had accomplished great things before their 30th birthday. For example, John Calvin wrote The Institutes of the Christian Faith during his twenties. Charles Spurgeon was leading the London Tabernacle, a church of ten thousand people, before the age of thirty. But this self-reflection provided a healthy sense of urgency as well.
Some years ago, I had a discussion with a friend on whether if would be preferable to have a large ministry whose leaders were powerfully gifted but lacking in character, or to have a small ministry where the leadership was high in character but not as visibly anointed. It was a fun conversation because I think we both knew the right answer. But admittedly, it was difficult not to entertain the thought of being highly successful without having to pay the cost of growing in integrity. In a perfect world, we would want the best of both scenarios—high character leaders impacting large numbers of people with their anointing; but in an imperfect world, you can have one without the other.
At first glance, this reluctance to take the mantle of kingship may appear to be a sign of humility, but there is a clear distinction between modesty and a lack of courage. Saul suffered greatly from the latter because of his inability to conquer his insecurities. Perhaps a clue to Saul’s inner demon is found in the preceding chapter when he responds to Samuel by saying, “Am I not a Benjamite, from the least of the tribes of Israel? And is not my clan the smallest of all the clans of the tribe of Benjamin? Why then have you spoken to me in this way?” In certain ways, Saul is paralyzed by his own negative self-perception and he is unable to respond to the call of God in a healthy manner. Later on, in his relationship with David, Saul’s insecurities would drive him into murderous fits of jealousy when the people begin to give greater praise to David.
One of the questions that have always come to my mind in reading 1 Samuel 9 is: “Why did God direct Samuel the prophet to choose Saul as the first king of Israel?” For those who know the story, Saul was a horrible king who rejected God’s commands and was self-serving, murderous, and insane towards the end of his life. God certainly could have kept this man from the throne, yet not only does He permit Saul to become king, but He is the active agent in the process of bringing Saul to power. Was this simply a case of not reading Saul’s resume carefully and making an unfortunate hiring blunder?
It was a blessing for me to read about Billy Graham and his 3 decades of enduring lifelong partnership with his ministry teammates, of which the most familiar to the public are: Cliff Barrows, Grady Wilson, and George Beverly Shea. In this present age, we are bombarded and accustomed to hearing about the failures of leaders from all sectors of life. So I found it refreshing, inspiring and hopeful in reading about modern day saints who have faithfully finished their God-given calling with such humility, grace, and integrity. It’s no surprise to find that their personal and ministry success of serving together at the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association were birthed out of the spirit, mind set, and effort of being a team. Ruth Graham, Billy Graham’s daughter described her father’s ministry team in this way: “Not only has the ministry been a team effort, but what strikes me is that it has also been an effort made largely by the same team”.
Recently, I was feeling discouraged by the lack of visible breakthroughs in the ongoing 18 plus years of interceding for my siblings’ salvation and the heart wrenching circumstances that they are in. A thought of, “What’s the use, you might as well give up praying for them,” came to my mind. Just then, I felt the tugging of the Holy Spirit, reminding me of several prayers that were prayed over me: The first prayer was a prophetic word from a pastor that God has called me to be a spiritual pillar for my family. The second prayer was that God was teaching me a new way to see, to respond, and to pray for my dysfunctional family through His perspective and not my own.