Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be so. – James 3:10
The moment the words came out of my mouth, I knew they were not what I meant to say and could hurt my co-worker. It wasn’t the first time and wouldn’t be the last time I wasn’t able to moderate my tongue. In sorrow, I prayed, Lord, please forgive me, cancel the effect these words might have had. Help me tame my tongue, be quick to hear and slow to speak!
One of the many ways to stir up, or quench, the manifestation of the Lord Jesus through our lives is through our words. The tongue is a little member that can quickly spread a big fire of blessing or cursing, of life or death. Our words bring either direction or destruction; contribution or contamination; encouragement or discouragement. With it, we lead others unknowingly.
Let’s bless our Lord and others with words, confess Jesus is Lord, and praise His holy name. Blessing, not cursing. As we pray in the spirit, worship and witness, we stir up the gift of God that is in us. As we surrender and submit ourselves to the Lord, He enables us to tame our tongue, from glory to glory!
Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. – John 15:4-5
“To abide” is to remain in the glory zone, in that place where God’s presence is tangible and fleshly concerns dissipate. In that place, who we are in Him and what we do comes forth with peace, love, and joy. Worry and fear disappear. It’s a place where divine wisdom equips us to stay away from what is not of God.
To stay in the glory zone, we remain in fellowship with the Lord. Even when we fellowship with others, we stay tuned in to His presence, keeping it in the forefront, yielding to His guidance and peace. Jesus is the vine; we are the branches. A branch bears fruit simply by abiding, not by self-effort. Accordingly, it just rests in the vine, trusting its life.
Our aim is to stay in fellowship with Him so that His abundant life can flow freely in and through us. We keep turning our thoughts and affections to the Lord Jesus. Consistently, we sit at His feet spiritually, paying attention to His leading and listening to His Word, willing to obey. In the glory zone, we abide, from glory to glory.
Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, ‘I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.’ – John 8:12
As we follow Jesus, the Light of the World, we do not walk in darkness because of the Spirit of God. Light is one symbol of the Holy Spirit. He illuminates and breathes life in the Word of God. A word we read in the Bible, in a sermon, or in our communication with the Lord and others jumps at us. It’s personal and no one else receives the same. He zooms in on what we need and shines like a floodlight.
The Holy Spirit leads us with peace, clarity, and surety in our steps. His revelation and wisdom bypass our natural understanding. Thoughts to do this or that drop in our spirit. Big things. Little things. Call someone; check on something; do not go there; an undeniable prompting. As we obey, we find His protection and empowerment. The bigger picture unfolds.
To turn on the switch, we remind ourselves of the abiding presence of the Holy Spirit in our loves. With gratitude, we yield to Him, seek His guidance, and receive it in faith. In humility, we pray for Him to remove any blindness and for more spiritual sight. He draws us to know Jesus more and more and to recognize His workings in our lives, from glory to glory
Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. – Heb. 12:1-2 NKJV
As we keep looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, He removes the burdens that weigh us down so we can run with grace the race set before us. We must lay aside anything that hinders our progress. Things that used to be light becomes heavy when we follow the Lord. This laying aside is casting off completely, not a temporary release but a permanent one.
We only discern some weights when their heaviness increases and becomes unbearable. So heavy we must put them down. When we are dealing with many weights, we struggle to find a balance in our lives. Everything we do turns out to be difficult. The overwhelming sense of getting buried under the encumbrances drives us to despair. It’s often at that moment that we cry out to the Lord and receive freedom.
As we lay aside every weight and the sin which so easily ensnares us, the weight of the glory of the Lord increases and empowers us. He helps us run the race freely and not quit. It is not a sprint; it’s a marathon. The only weight increasing in our lives should be the weight of the glory of God, and that from glory to glory!
TheSpirit of the Lordis upon Me, because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Meto heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, toset at liberty those who areoppressed; to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord. – Luke 4-18-19 NKJV
How do we heal from a broken heart? When a mate, friendship, or other close relationship falls, it can be painful, and it can also hinder our future if we let it. We may hesitate to love again with our whole heart. The fear of experiencing pain keeps parts of us behind walls of false protection.
There is no guarantee that we will not get hurt again, but wallowing in that possibility stops us from trusting new people. It causes them to reap what others have sown. This fear steals the potential of our new relationships and keeps us bound to the past. The Spirit of Christ can heal the broken heart. Only He knows how to put the pieces back together. His love conquers all.
God wants us to face our brokenness instead of covering it. When we surrender those hidden places to Him, we give Him access to areas we cannot deal with on our own. He removes locks, free us from bonds, and makes us whole. His love never fails. His healing tears down the walls, brings wholeness, and renews our hope, from glory to glory.
I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. – John 15:5 KJV
When we go through trying times, circumstances try to disconnect us from abiding in the vine. Our position in Christ is a position of trust, safety, and peace. As soon as we sense an inner turmoil, we must connect with the Lord through prayer and worship. Even when all we can do is call upon His name, it helps us disengage from whatever is trying to bring us down.
Even when we realize our behavior falls short, we can approach the Lord and go to His throne of grace. Humbly, we admit and confess our faults and request His touch. We accept His forgiveness, forgive others, ourselves, and even God. When we feel depleted and wearied, we hang in there, in the vine, and let His life flow in and through us, with thanksgiving.
Jesus is the vine; we are the branches. We abide in the vine through our communion with Him. A branch alone cannot carry life. It draws its life from the vine, remaining in constant contact with its life source. As we do, we can rest in any situation, bear more fruit, and glorify Him. Apart from Him, we can do nothing, but because we are a part of Him, we can do all things, from glory to glory!
