Devotionals: Active Word - July 12, 2011

Devotionals www.crosswalk.com Active Word - July 12, 2011 12 Jul 2011, 5:00 am    July 12 Watch your words! There is one who speaks like the piercings of a sword, but the tongue of the wise promotes health. Proverbs 12:18 (NKJV) “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but names can never hurt me!” At one time or another, all of us have sung this schoolyard song. But have you ever stopped to consider how incredibly untrue it is? Granted, name-calling isn’t going to break any bones or have the same physical effect of hurling debris at someone. But let’s be honestâ€"sometimes words inflict wounds that run deeper and last longer. Words have a powerful impact! We see this portrayed perfectly in Proverbs 12:18. It says there’s a person whose words are like a sword piercing someone’s heart. You know what it’s like to be on the receiving end of words like that. Something is said that utterly cuts you down. It leaves you limping and lying on the battlefield of life. On the flip side, there are also people whose words promote health. What they say has a way of infusing fresh life and vitality into us. We’re revived and invigorated to press on instead of dwelling in discouragement. Our circumstances haven’t changed, but our spirit has been strengthened by the “tongue of the wise.” Words are powerful. They can damage and destroy, or they can encourage and edify. Again, we’ve been on the receiving end of this reality. But now we need to consider our role on the other side. God has given most of us the capacity to communicate, to express ourselves through what we say. Remember, our words have a powerful impact on others, and we should be constantly watching our words to make sure they’re promoting health instead of piercing hearts. Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers. (Ephesians 4:29 NKJV) Think About It… What does this passage reveal to me about God? What does this passage reveal to me about myself? Based on this, what changes do I need to make? What is my prayer for today? SPECIAL OFFER New 365 Devotional Volume 2 God's mercy is new every day. That's because it's needed daily. So to help you walk through a fresh new day, the Active Word has put together this second volume of the 365 Devotional.  Our hope in creating this series of devotionals, is to help you connect with God's Word 365 days a year. And the best thing is, you can start any day of the year. Stay in step with God's Word, His will, and learn to live out your faith, daily.   You are receiving this email because you subscribed to this feed at blogtrottr.com. If you no longer wish to receive these emails, you can unsubscribe from this feed.