Daily Bible Verse ~ Matthew 12:35-37

“The good person out of his good treasure brings forth good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure brings forth evil. 36 I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak, 37 for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”

Did you know that you will be judged for every careless word that you speak? Every one of them. Most people who are believers in Christ don’t even think about that when they open their mouth and speak. I know for me, the first thing I think of when I open my mouth isn’t, “Hmm, one day I may be judged for what I am about to say!”

If we go up earlier in this chapter we see that Jesus says that a house divided will not stand. As we experience civil unrest, political division like never before, and a world that seems to be spiraling closer and closer to hell, I can’t help but think that Jesus wants us to know something very important here.

What we say and how we say can lead to unity or division. How we treat others is at the foundation of our Christian faith. Love God and love your neighbor. That is the very first thing and most important tenant to our faith. Jesus says we are to love our enemy and pray for those who persecute us. The Biblical writer James says that the tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole body, sets the whole course of one’s life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.

What we say comes from our heart, so, if we speak evil it is an indication that our heart is not in the right place. We will certainly be accountable for the condition of our heart.

Digging Deeper:

Ephesians 5:4; James 3:2-12

Apply It:

So here’s my question to you today…

How many idle, foolish, vain, sarcastic, frivolous, sinful, and unprofitable things have you said just today? Forget about the past… Just today? Long after we are away from the conversation, the words we use will often remain for a lifetime. Think back to a hurtful thing someone said to you. Those words still remain today in the depths of your heart and mind. Make it a point today to think before you speak and remember that the Lord judges your heart by the words that come out of your mouth.

Prayer:

Lord, forgive me for the things that I have said that impact others in a negative way. Help me to speak words of truth that will build up the body of Christ and be a testimony and witness to you. Give me your Spirit when I am in a difficult situation so I will speak your truth. In Jesus name, amen.