BBD 07.01.04 Take It Back
Posted by: wrather <wrather@...>
like to encourage you to visit this great site at http://www.crossmap.com. Crossmap
has recently added the Burning Bush Devotionals to their site. Add the
Burning Bush Devotionals to your site and I will share your website with the
readers of the devotional.
The Burning Bush Devotional
(Over 13,000 subscribers in 75 countries)
07.01.04
Take It Back
See how great a forest a little fire kindles! And the tongue is a fire, a
world of iniquity. The tongue is so set among our members that it defiles
the whole body, and sets on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire
by hell. - James 3:5b-6.
A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an
evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil. For out of
the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks. - Luke 6:45.
Do you remember when you were a child? Sometimes you said some things that
another boy or girl didn’t like and what did they say? Often it was “Take it
back!” Meaning you didn’t really mean it when you said those mean words.
There are so many words that I wish I could take back.
The first time I received corporal punishment (licks) at school had to do
with the words I said. A boy name Troy Potts on my bus was fighting with a
friend and because I was setting right next to them I was drawn into it all
and called Troy a name.
I was in the fifth grade at the time. Soon after we arrived at school, we
were called into the superintendent’s office. This was a frightening thing
because I had never even been into the high school before much less the
superintendent’s office. Troy told the superintendent that the other boy hit
him and that I had called him a name. It was all true and the punishment was
rapidly administered. According to the superintendent, the name-calling was
just as bad as the hitting and I was the beneficiary of three hard licks
from a wooden paddle with holes drilled in it.
I really don’t know what caused me to say the words and I did apologize to
Troy but there was no way to undo the damage and take back what I had said.
Not only was the name calling just as bad as the hitting but over the years
I have come to think that it may have actually been worse (Troy, if you
happen to read this once again I would like to say that I am truly sorry for
saying what I did.). Once those words were said, there was no way to ever
take them back.
Words that have been said to me in anger, hate, or just meanness have been
remembered much longer and in more detail than any physical pain I‘ve
experienced. In fact just thinking about some of those words and situations
can once again bring pain. Of course, when it happens I take them to the
Lord and ask Him to take captive those thoughts (2 Corinthians 10:5) which
relieves the pain and brings peace (Philippians 4:6-7.).
The tongue is a burning fire and piercing sword (Proverbs 12:18) at times
and it will never be completely controlled. However, we can control what we
put into our hearts. Instead of anger, violence, and evil we can instead put
into our lives the list given to us by the apostle Paul in Philippians 4:8,
“Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble,
whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are
lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if
there is anything praiseworthy--meditate on these things.” Store up these
things into your heart and out of the overflow of your heart will flow these
same things in your speech. Try it - it works!
Copyright © 2004. Ed Wrather. Permission is given for use of the devotionals
on a non-profit basis with source credited. On June 8, 1998 the email
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