Tuesday 12 Mar 2013

Tuesday Reading: John 11:35

Key Verse: John 11:35
35  Jesus wept.

Devotion:
“Are you serious! One verse! The shortest verse! Come on!” I hear a few saying…

One book has made all the difference. One chapter can make all the difference. One verse can make all the difference. One word can make all the difference. It is not always the volume that is going to make the difference, but the words that we use. When Christ was faced with adversity, strife or temptation, He chose His words wisely and carefully. He did not rush into extended explanations that were designed to flood the senses but instead chose His actions and words such that we would get the point very clearly.

We need to take a leaf out of Christ’s book, his life on earth, and start to realise just how important our words and actions are to others. It is so very easy to blow up and shout and think that that is going to make all the difference in the world, but if truth be told, that outburst may well be what turn others against us instead of drawing them to the same conclusions as we want them to see. Christ was emotional. There is no getting round that. But that did not mean that He allowed any emotional outbursts to rule over His life; instead He took time to think and time to make sure that His words would match His perfect heart. He took time to make sure that the people around Him would know the true meaning of what He was trying to say. Even when He said that the people around Him would not hear the truth in the words, the people that He wanted to hear heard those words and wrote them down for us to read. God’s ways are perfect.

We may never be able to reach such perfect ways or to be able to control our mouths in the same manner that Christ was able to, but we can stop and think about our actions and words before we let loose. It may be just one word that will change someone’s life; do you want that one word to ruin their lives or to build them up? We have the choice as to how others will see and hear us and we need to ask God for His perfect guidance so that we can glorify Him through our actions. He knows what others need and He can use you to deliver those needs if only you will stop and listen to what He has to say – and then act in that same way…

Points to Ponder:
Do you stop and think?

Have you stopped to listen to God?