The Holy Spirit really convicted me as I was typing yesterday’s post. Let me repeat. As soon as we take on a work mentality we step out of grace. Have you ever considered how we go from dependence on the Lord to self strength? It is a split second auto pilot shift. It is not something that we are consciously aware of. 

Colossians 1:6 says of the gospel, “Which has come to you, as it has also in all the world, and is bringing forth fruit, as it is also among you since the day you heard and knew the grace of God in truth.” The Amplified says, “…in reality, deeply and clearly and thoroughly, becoming accurately and intimately acquainted with it.)”

Colossians 1:16 says that all things were created by the Lord and for Him. Verse 17 says, “And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist. The Amplified says, “…(cohere, are held together).” In our standing we are vitally united to the Lord. It is impossible to separate us now and throughout eternity.

Our progressive sanctification is a journey of learning to walk in His grace. As verse six in the Amplified implied it is becoming, and not a destination that we arrive at. John 1:16 Amplified says, “For out of His fullness (abundance) we have all received (all had a share and we were all supplied with) one grace after another and spiritual blessing upon spiritual blessing and even favor upon favor and gift (heaped) upon gift.”

John 1:14 says that the Lord is full of grace and truth. Colossians 1:6 says that the gospel is actively working in our lives from the moment we accept Jesus as our Savior. Our journey then is to learn to discern that split second timing when we seek to do something in our own strength. John 6:63 needs to be a conscious, constant reminder that our flesh profits nothing.

We know, from James 4:6, that God gives grace to the humble. Our flesh is fully summarized in the word pride. Our own strength works are done in our flesh. How can we readily identify it? We look to ourselves first in our thoughts before we ever execute anything. Our walk always goes back to our thoughts. 

James 3:2 says, “For we all stumble in many things. If anyone does not stumble in word, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle the whole body.” Our thoughts affect our actions. When we fill our minds with God’s word, that word becomes our ready weapon. All actions can be stopped with our thoughts. A thought comes into our mind of what we want to do. At that point we stop and check in with the Lord.

That is what Proverbs 3:6 means. It says, “In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.” ‘All our ways’ begins with a thought. It is essential to remember that all thoughts stem from what we believe in our heart. The moment we trust in ourselves we have fallen from grace. Grace requires humility which is a manifestation of absolute dependence on the Lord.

There is no excuse for negligence. It brings dire consequences. Hebrews 2:3 says, “How shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation, which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed to us by those who heard Him.”

The apostle John was a good steward of Jesus’ words. 1 John 1:3 says, “That which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you, also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ.”

Peter admonished his readers to be good stewards of their faith. In 2 Peter 1:5-7 it says, “But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, to godliness, brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love.” Did you notice how they are connected? Being diligent requires intentionality.

Paul was a good steward of God’s grace. He made a point that I want to focus on. Ephesians 3:7 says, “Of which I became a minister according to the gift of the grace of God given to me by the effective working of His power.”

What gift of grace have we been given? It is exactly the same as Paul. It is God’s resurrection power that effectively empowers us to do what He has called us to do. It is Him Who is doing it! 1 Thessalonians 5:24 says, “He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it.”

Paul brought admonishment to the Galatians for their neglect. Galatians 5:4 says, “You have become estranged from Christ, you who attempt to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace.”

Though Paul was speaking about physical circumcision, we can apply this to our own lives. We are not justified by our works, as Titus 3:5 says. Romans 5:1 says that we are justified by faith. Verse 2 says, “Through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand…”

As soon as we take on a work mentality, we have fallen from grace. Grace is a gift. Ephesians 2:9 made that very plan regarding our salvation. It says, “Not of works, lest anyone should boast.”

It is impossible to walk in the Spirit in our own strength. That is why we cannot produce the fruit of the Spirit. Galatians 5:22-23 described fruit that we bear only when we are living under the control and empowerment of the Holy Spirit.

Remember that Paul was talking about physical circumcision. At salvation, we were spiritually circumcised. Colossians 2:11 says, “In Him you were also circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the sins of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ.”

Galatians 5:24-25 is our present day truth. It says, “And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.”

Grace is an empowerment gift given as we are walking in humility. Galatians 5:26 says, “Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.” The Holy Spirit goes before us to prepare the way. He knows exactly how much grace we need in any given moment. As we humble ourselves through obedience, our flesh will shrink back in defeat!

As I read Galatians 5:1, I sensed the Holy Spirit giving me the title for this post. I began to journal. I first asked Him what entanglements still kept me bound. This is a great question for you to ask Him as well. We may hide emotional pain in our heart and consciously forget it. Yet it remains an entanglement that hinders our steps.

Mark 4:22 says, “For there is nothing hidden which will not be revealed, nor has anything been kept secret that it should not come to light.” Here is another great verse. Hebrews 4:13 Amplified says, “And not a creature exists that is concealed from His sight, but all things are open and exposed, naked and defenseless to the eyes of Him with Whom we have to do.”

Two times Paul wrote something in the book of Galatians that we need to make note of. Galatians 2:18 says, “For if I build again those things which I destroyed, I make myself a transgressor.” He wrote about being justified by faith and not going back to the law which was works.

In Galatians 5:1 he warned them about using their new liberty as an opportunity for their flesh. It says, “Stand fast therefore….” What was the ‘therefore’ he referred to? Galatians 4:28-31 was to remind them that they were children of promise and therefore free.

Galatians 5:1 continued about standing, “…in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage.” He questioned them in verse 7, “…Who hindered you from obeying the truth?” 

Every time we disobey the truth of God’s word we sin. Verse 9 says, “A little leaven leavens the whole lump.” This verse reminded me of Ecclesiastes 10:1. It says, “Dead flies putrefy the perfumer’s ointment, and cause it to give off a foul odor; so does a little folly to one respected for wisdom and honor.”

Galatians 5:13 says, “For you, brethren, have been called to liberty; only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.”  Two things we need to note. 1~ anything that we do in our flesh is without love. 2 ~ our flesh serves only ourselves.

We are not to let the things that bound us in our past bind us now in our present. Presently we are being bombarded with lies through the media. Do not let the words of man entangle you! You are not a slave. You have been loosed from the entanglements of sin. Stay free though righteous thoughts.

It is easy to use our past to create a hypothesis for the present. We are still living in the age of grace. God’s grace is still sufficient for us as it was for Paul when he asked the Lord to remove the thorn in his flesh.

The enemy of our soul seeks to bind us in a brier patch of their thorny words. Remember from Mark 4:18-19 that it is the thorns that choke out God’s word. We are children of promise, therefore let us live out our days standing in His promises that are true because they are eternal!

Have you ever tried to quiet your mind, but thoughts keep bombarding with chaotic precision? I understand. I used to live like that. In fact, I kept noise going all the time so I wouldn’t be able to hear what I was thinking.

Then in 1983 my doctor friend gave me a book called something like ‘Do You Hear What You Are Thinking?’ I thought it was the strangest title. I never ‘heard’ what I was thinking because it was a symphony of noises. Nothing was really distinct. It was like static on the radio.

I learned about spiritual journaling in 1976. I had a diary as a child so I knew about writing down things. It was never my thoughts, just things that I did that day. This was far different. This was writing down the thoughts the Holy Spirit would give me as I was reading Scripture.

Here is an interesting exercise. As you read a verse that the Holy Spirit highlights, write it in your journal. Now ask yourself this question: What would it look like if my life was described by this verse?

Spiritual journaling is also writing down our questions for the Lord regarding our life. It requires being still, focused, attentive, and receptive. Knowing that He wanted me to spend time with Him was a whole new concept. Why would God want to spend time with me?

Even though I accepted the Lord in 1958, it wasn’t until years later that I understood that He enjoyed me. A phrase in a new song that the Holy Spirit gave me caused my heart to open further. ‘Knowing Your joy as You behold me…”

Does that remind you of Zephaniah 3:17? It says, “The Lord your God in your midst, the Mighty One, will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing.” What a glorious picture!

Does His love for you quiet your mind and all the thoughts that intrude against yourself? Here is another verse that is amazing to consider. His thoughts toward us, according to Psalm 139:18, cannot be numbered.

Psalm 139:17-18 says, “How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God! How great is the sum of them! If I should count them, they would be more in number than the sand; when I awake, I am still with You.”

How do you picture yourself in Psalm 23:2? It says, “He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters.” I used to live in Washoe Valley, Nevada. It was a community nestled between Reno and Carson City. 

As I would drive to Carson City on a calm day, the small lake would perfectly reflect the sky and trees. I often stopped just to drink in the still beauty. When our heart is still inside, we are able to reflect the character of the Lord. He is never rushed, nor bombarded with negative thoughts.

Stillness, peace, intimate communion. Clear direction. Wisdom. Understanding. Knowledge. Insights, Revelation. Think of your quiet time from Habakkuk 2:1. It says, “I will stand my watch and set myself on the rampart, and watch to see what He will say to me…” I think of verse 2 in journaling. The Lord instructed Habakkuk to, “…Write the vision and make it plain on tablets, that he may run who reads it.”

When I sit down in my quiet time I have my Bible nearby and my journal open. I come to the Lord with the expectation to hear His whispered words. It is a time of His heart speaking to mine. I don’t use this time to read my Bible or pray. It is a set apart time to just commune in my spirit with the One who loves me.

I don’t have a formula, but I learned years ago that I need to first quiet my heart. I use Psalm 131:2 as my template.It says, “Surely I have calmed and quieted my soul, like a weaned child with his mother; like a weaned child is my soul within me.” Quiet, content, no agenda, but ready to hear. The Lord took Himself apart from the crowd to commune with His Father. He is our model. 

Psalm 46:10 says, “Be still, and know that I am God…” I also consider my quiet time from Song of Solomon 2:14. This is how I read it. “O my Dove, in the cleft of the rock, in the secret places of the cliff, let me see Your face, let me hear Your voice; for Your voice is sweet, and Your face is lovely.” Intimate communion is One on one. It is a secret exchange of Heart to heart. 

There is nothing on the face of this earth that is like our intimate communion with the Lord. Let nothing rival your time with Him. He delights in you. He waits for you to come to Him. He has so much to impart. We cannot live a moment without Him. John 15:1-8 helps us see that our vital union with Him is essential to bear fruit for His glory.

Jeremiah 33:3 says, “Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know.” Our intimate communion is unique. It is not copied from anything. Our time with the Lord is not patterned. He speaks into the moment of our lives through His infinite wisdom. He imparts what we need in a way that we cannot get it any other way. That is the power of our quiet time.

1 John 2:27 says of this time, “But the anointing which you have received from Him abides in you, and you do not need that anyone teach you; but as the same anointing teaches you concerning all things and is true, and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you will abide in Him.” We can trust what we hear in our quiet time when our heart is still and we have no agenda.

Jeremiah 31:14 says, “I will satiate the soul of the priests with abundance, and My people shall be satisfied with My goodness, says the Lord.” Psalm 36:8 says, “They are abundantly satisfied with the fullness of Your house, and You give them drink from the river of Your pleasures.” Psalm 37:4 says, “Delight yourself also in the Lord, and He shall give you the desires of your heart.” Is your desire  to know Him? The power of your quiet time with Him will fulfill that desire.

Distractions are part of life. They seem to always interrupt what we had intended to do. However we can repurpose them by using them as a signal. Making our quiet time our priority may create unnecessary distractions. I learned to keep a notebook to write down the things that came to my mind that needed to be done (but not right at that moment). That way they didn’t stay in mind to distract me.

Have you ever sat down for your quiet time and something happens to pull you off track? I think of Susana Wesley. She was the 25th child in her family.  She gave birth to 19 children. Several died in infancy. In a busy house, and in a very busy life being a pastor’s wife, she taught her children to respect her quiet time.

The children could be playing around her. Yet, when they saw her put her apron over her head and keel down, they adjusted what they were doing. What an amazing example for all of us. Her priority was to put the Lord first, and in that priority she taught her children to honor the Lord.

I do not recall when my quiet time became my priority. It is my reset button for the day. It is my compass. My quiet time is not structured. I remember in 1997 when I had purchased an older mobile. It was within minutes from my church where I worked. I had the luxury of spending my first three hours with the Lord. 

I spent one hour worshipping, one hour praying, and one hour in silence. In the midst of those segments, I would turn to verses that the Holy Spirit brought to mind, and write down the rich insights that He gave me. It was during those years that He gave me new songs that really encouraged my heart.

I remember after a few of those rich years, the Lord took me into a dormant season. I called my landscaping friend to ask him to help me understand that time. I so missed what I had with the Lord. I was in an uncharted season. His words encouraged me.

Perhaps you feel that you are in a drought season with the Lord. Tom’s words to me are timeless because the Lord is the Tiller of our heart’s soil. He doesn’t change. Tom said that the roots are still very active, gathering food from the soil.  He said the dormant time is the time the soil needs nitrogen which is immediate food.  He just encouraged me to remain, because dormancy brings stability, growth, and future beauty.

Steadfast

Truth

Always

Believing

Increasing

Love

Intentionally

Trusting

You

Here is a new song from that time. May it encourage your heart to set a priority time to spend with the Lord and with Him alone.

Womb of the Morning

I come to You O Lord in the womb of the morning. To sit and worship You and call upon Your name. You answer me with a sweetness that melts my heart. And opens me to receive Your words.

Your words like oil penetrate the places in my heart that were hardened through fear. You say My child don’t be afraid. I’ve been there all along to shield and protect. Let go of that which you clutch so tight. That I might fulfill the deepest longings of your heart.

Don’t let the cares of this life choke out My words. Open your heart to hear the beat of My own heart. I desire oneness with you but I won’t compete with that to which you give yourself. I will but wait until you tire of your own pursuits.  And nestle down in My love.

Be still now and quiet your heart before Me. I have so much to share to reveal the  depths of My counsel. For in Me is hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. I have all and hold all. Through the power of My Word.

In Me you will lack nothing. Your very sustenance comes through sweet communion. Through intimacy that cannot be broken. Nothing in this earth can compare with My beauty of holiness. In the womb of the morning.

Why are traps set? They want to capture something. 2 Timothy 2:26 says of those entrapped by satan, “And that they may come to their senses and escape the snare of the devil, having been taken captive by him to do his will.”

Through salvation we have escaped satan’s slave block to sin. Psalm 124:7 says, “Our soul has escaped as a bird from the snare of the fowlers; the snare is broken, and we have escaped.” 

Proverbs 1:17 says, “Surely, in vain the net is spread in the sight of any bird.” All of satan’s wiles to recapture us are hidden. There is never a visual sign of warning. Psalm 106:26 was written about the children of Israel. It says, “They served their idols, which became a snare to them.”

God warned them many times that if they adopted the gods of their enemy that they would be ensnared. 1 Corinthians 10:6 says, “Now these things became our examples, to the intent that we should not lust after evil things as they also lusted.”

One area that our flesh lusts for is control. It is an insidious trap which means: proceeding in a gradual, subtle way, but with harmful effects. That is exactly how we become ensnared through mental dialogues.

The mental dialogue, of trying to figure something out that only God knows, is like the hamster in a wheel. Our mind goes round and round, spending emotional energy and getting nowhere other than further entrapped.

Remember that in Ezekiel 14 the Lord told the folks that when they came to Him with an idol in their heart, He would cause the idol to speak to them. Why would we continually try to figure something out in our mind that is futile activity? It feeds our fleshly desire to know. Our heart idol of mental dialoguing lies to us. It is a distraction.

The Lord is the only One who is All Knowing. In Him is hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge, according to Colossians 2:3. Proverbs 9:10 says, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.”

Proverbs 2:7 says that He stores up wisdom to those who are walking in His righteousness. That is, we are seeking to conform our thoughts, purpose, and actions to His will. When we follow the dictates of our flesh we are acting foolishly.

2 Corinthians 5:18 says, “Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation.” Verse 21 says, “For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” 

We are called to be reconcilers. That means that we need to develop a greater sensitivity to the working of the Holy Spirit in our lives. Distractions pull us away from His purpose. How can we hear unless we are attentive?

A mental inner dialogue, with the hopes of figuring something out, dulls our sensitivity. It is satan’s counterfeit to God’s way of meditating on Scripture. It sows weed seeds that grow to choke out God’s word. 

Joshua 1:8 and Psalm 1:2-3 says that the Lord will prosper those who meditate. The Hebrew thought for meditating is to quietly repeat the Scripture in a soft, droning sound, while utterly abandoning outside distractions.

We create a whole scene or conversation in our mind through inner dialogue. What does it accomplish? Nothing. It is all futile because we have no control over our next moment. We often fall into this flesh-trap because we want to figure something out.

An inner dialogue sows weed seeds. Galatians 6:7 says that what we sow we will reap. There is the law of the harvest to consider. We sow a little but we reap an abundance. Think of one kernel of corn. One plant has multiple ears which has multiple kernels.

Proverbs 16:1 says, “The preparations of the heart belong to man, but the answer of the tongue is from the Lord.” We are created to plan and to strategically implement. It becomes a futile pursuit however when we are not looking to the Lord for the wisdom to plan.

James addressed this issue with his readers. James 4:14 is our reminder. It says, “Whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow…” Think back to how you entered your last or current trial. James 1:2 indicates that we fall into them unexpectedly.

I have friends who lost everything in the California Paradise Fire. They went to bed one night. The plans they had in place for the morning never came about. Instead they had to flee for their lives. 

I have a friend who went to bed one night as usual. In the wee hours of the morning he woke up with chest pain. He told his wife, took his last breath, and died. When I was helping her clear out his things, I noticed that he had laid out his shoes. His socks and underwear were folded nicely on top.  He was ready for the next morning.

How then shall we live? James 4:14-15 says, “…For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away. Instead you ought to say, If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that.”

I like to keep verse 17 in my mind. I use it as a warning when my mind wants to go off into a mental dialogue. It says, “Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin.”

When the Lord says, ‘Do not’ and we do, we enter into sin every time. No question. 1 Samuel 12:21 says, “And do not turn aside; for then you would go after empty things which cannot profit or deliver, for they are nothing.”

Mindless futility is a waste of the things that the Lord has given us to steward for His glory. Romans 1:21 says, “Because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened.”

The word ‘futile’ in the Greek means: fruitless, empty, hollow, unreal, unproductive, lacking substance, ineffectual, void of results, useless, and worthless. We were redeemed from such a void! Ephesians 4:1 says, “This I say, therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you should no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles walk, in the futility of their mind.”

Here is what the Holy Spirit helped me understand. I could plausibly make excuses because of my brain injuries. I’m setting them aside as I evaluate the root He showed me. Parts of my heart are uncultivated. Weed seeds have proliferated. Now that I have purposed again to memorize Scripture, I have discovered that there is fallow ground that needs to be tilled first.

Hosea 10:12 is my template. I must be diligent to break up the fallow ground in my mind. It says, “Sow for yourselves righteousness; reap in mercy; break up your fallow ground, for it is time to seek the Lord, till He comes and rains righteousness on you.”

There were years in my life where I lived in futile mental dialogue trying to figure out things that only the Lord had answers for. Ephesians 5:16 says, “Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.” My unredeemed time had allowed hard clods of excuses to gather. They keep the seed of His word from going deeply into fertile soil so that it can bear fruit for His glory.

God’s hidden word will keep the soil of our heart plowed. It will sterilize any weed seeds, and the clods will continually be broken up. His memorized word will root deeply in prepared soil. Mark 4:20 says, “But these are the ones sown on good ground, those who hear the word, accept it, and bear fruit: some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some a hundred.”

In our standing in Christ we are redeemed, justified, and set free from sin’s dominion. In our state we still battle our flesh. James 4:1 says, “Where do wars and fights come from among you? Do they not come from your desires for pleasure that war in your members?” 

What happened to Eve? Genesis 3:6 says that she saw something that she desired though God had said ‘Do not’ and she did. Isn’t that what we still battle with? Mark 4:19 says that the desire for other things choke out God’s word.

What is choking God’s word in your heart? Genesis 4:7 recorded God’s word to Cain. We do well to heed it ourselves. It says of sin’s temptations, “If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin lies at the door. And its desire is for you, but you should rule over it.”

The Hebrew meaning for ‘rule’ is to exercise dominion over something. We are talking about our God given authority to exercise that dominion which Jesus gave us through His death on the cross. Remember that He triumphed over satan and his minions.

Colossians 2:15 says, “Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it.” It is important to note what Colossians 1:16 says, “For by Him all things were created…through Him and for Him.”

James 1:14-15 recorded the progression of a temptation. Note that the flesh-trap is our own hidden desires. It says, “But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin…”

How do we go from being enticed to conceiving sin? We dialogue in our mind through our thoughts. The crux of the matter is there is hidden fleshly desire that has not been acknowledged and confessed. When the temptation comes, we easily slide into an inner dialogue. We mull over the temptation and the desire for other things chokes out the truth of the gospel.

Romans 6:6 says in reference to our being buried with Christ in His death at salvation. It says, “Knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin.”

When we accepted Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection for ourselves, we were set free from the slave block of sin. That is our standing. Verse 13 is our state. It says, “And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin…”

God says, ‘do not’ and we do when we are enticed through our flesh-trap, and we yield to the temptation and enter into sin. The verse instructs us what we are to do when tempted. It says, “…but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God.”

Unrighteousness, according to Romans 1:18, suppresses the truth of God’s word. Walking in righteousness requires us to continually yield to the Holy Spirit. Romans 8:1 says, “There is therefore no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.”

Verse 5 says, “For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh…” That is the flesh trap. Psalm 66:18 says, “If I regard iniquity in my heart…” What does that mean? If I allow hidden sin to remain, which according to Hebrews 3:14, it will harden my heart through my own self-deception.

James 1:16 says, “Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren.” Galatians 6:7 says, “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap.” Our hidden sin is only hidden through our self-deception, because we don’t recognize the thorn-fruit.

Who can refute God’s word? No one! All through history there has been a fight against God’s word. There still is today. Psalm 18:30 says that God’s word is proven. Psalm 12:6 says, “The words of the Lord are pure words, like silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times.”

Seven speaks of perfection or completeness. Isaiah 55:11 says that God’s word will never return to Him void. John 1:14 revealed that Jesus is the word. It says, “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.”

God’s word sanctifies our heart. John 17:17 says, “Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth.” When we feed on God’s word we will prosper. When we speak it in our hearts we will not stumble and fall.

Psalm 103:5 says, “Who satisfies your mouth with good things, so that your youth is renewed like the eagles.” This is our prescription for health: spiritually, physically, and emotionally.

When we have a poor diet we will suffer needlessly. I’m referring not only to the food we eat but also our words. Proverbs 15:17 says, “Better is a dinner of herbs where love is, than a fatted calf with hatred.”

Proverbs 17:1 says, “Better is a dry morsel with quietness, than a house full of feasting with strife.” Strife often leads to hatred. 1 John 2:11 says, “But he who hates his brother is in darkness and walks in darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes.

How does bitterness, anger, clamor, hatred, and strife affect our health? Bitterness causes chemical imbalance. It also causes an acid drip in our brain that destroys neuro pathways.

Anger is rooted in unresolved issues. Clamor is shouting vehemently. Strife comes from inner conflict resulting in outer conflict with others. Each of these affect our health. What thoughts do you dine on? 

Psalm 37:3 says, “Trust in the Lord, and do good; dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness.” A diet of meditating on God’s faithfulness is sweet and delectable. Think about how that translates in our conversations.

Proverbs 16:24 says, “Pleasant words are like a honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and health to the bones.” I looked up to see why king Solomon compared honeycombs and bones. Honeycomb has a mesh-like interior. It contains vital nutrients that enhance our health: collagen, calcium, protein, and other minerals. Our bones have a mesh-like interior also. 

Pleasant words enhance our health and the health of the ones we speak to. Ephesians 4:29 says that we are to impart grace to our hearers. Proverbs 16:21 says, “The wise in heart will be called prudent, and sweetness of the lips increases learning.”

David was wise. He asked the Lord something that we can ask also. Psalm 141:3 says, “Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth; keep watch over the door of my lips.” Our lips are the vehicle which our words travel through. Have you ever spewed out words you wish you could have stopped?

The only way to stop our words is through the right thoughts. When we dwell in God’s word, and His word dwells in us, we will be carriers of His righteousness to others. We will build them up instead of tear them down.

Proverbs 30:32-33 says, “If you have been foolish in exalting yourself, or if you have devised evil, put your hand on your mouth.” Good advice. Verse 33 says, “For as the churning of milk produces butter, and wringing the nose produces blood, so the forcing of wrath produces strife.”