August 13 – Watch What You Say

 “From the fruit of a man’s mouth he enjoys good, but the desire of the treacherous is violence. The one who guards his mouth preserves his life; The one who opens wide his lips comes to ruin.” – Proverbs 13:2-3 (NASB)

Perhaps you’ve heard the quip, “Loose lips sink ships?”  It’s an American English idiom meaning "beware of unguarded talk." The phrase originated on propaganda posters during World War II. Coined as a slogan by the US Office of War Information's attempting to limit the possibility of people inadvertently giving useful information to enemy spies. Another common way of saying we’ve said something we shouldn’t have is to “put our foot in our mouth.” It means one has said something foolish, embarrassing, or tactless. Today’s verse from Proverbs is also a good caution and has both a positive and negative result promised. The parallels here are implied. A man of good words prospers, but a man of evil words (thus unfruitful to God) provokes violence against himself. Being careful about what we say helps keep us out of trouble. But speaking hastily and thoughtlessly brings on trouble to ourselves and to others. By our reckless words we makes promises we can’t keep, or perhaps we offend, or misrepresent. People learn not to depend on what we say and do not want to be around us. Consequences may be that we suffer financially or physically. 

193

June 3 –– Keeping Us From Evil

“I do not ask You to take them out of the world, but to keep them from the evil one.” John 17:15 (NASB)

The Bible tells us that Jesus, the Son of God is praying for us in heaven. We might wonder what He is asking God do to for us and we might find some answers to that question in the last prayers which Jesus prayed before he was arrested and crucified.  Recorded by John in chapter 17 of his gospel account.  Jesus prayed for His disciples as He was soon to leave them. He knew what they would face here in this world. He knows what you and I face and he knows the increasing antagonism that Christians are facing these days.  The evil one is active and we do need God's help to overcome the influences just as the disciples did. We believe that this is in part what Jesus is praying for us today. As long as we live here on earth we need God's help and God the Father does help us and answers the prayers of His Son Jesus.  This is a promise that God will keep us from the evil one.  God's way of keeping us is to preserve our souls even as we face difficulty in this world. Trust Him today!

196

August 12 – Hope Is In God

Love the LORD, all you his saints! The LORD preserves the faithful but abundantly repays the one who acts in pride. Be strong, and let your heart take courage all you who wait for the LORD!  Psalm 31:23-24  (ESV)

The words in this Psalm of David are addressed to God in praise for His goodness. This is a frequent theme in the Psalms that David wrote.  But in the last verses of Psalm 31, David wrote words of reassurance and hope which we can use for encouragement and strength. We realize that one of the real purposes in the expression of praise to God is to encourage us and also those who hear us praising Him. Of course God wants to hear our praise and He responds by blessing us more. But as others hear us expressing praise, they are reminded how good God is. And this is what happens when we read a psalm of praise such at the one, we are reading from today. Our hope and our expectation are in God. We are looking to Him in expectation, aren't we? When we are reminded how He helped David and others who praise him, our hearts are strengthened and our boldness is bolstered while we wait for the LORD to fulfill the promises He has given to us.

- 181 -

June 3 – Keeping

“I do not ask You to take them out of the world, but to keep them from the evil one.” John 17:15 (NASB)

The Bible tells us that Jesus, the Son of God is praying for us in heaven. We might wonder what He is asking God do to for us and we might find some answers to that question in the last prayers which Jesus prayed before he was arrested and crucified.  This prayer was recorded by John in chapter 17 of the gospel account he wrote.  Jesus was praying for His disciples as He was soon to leave them. He knew what they would face here in this world. He knows what you and I face and he knows the increasing antagonism that Christian are facing these days.  The evil one is still active and we do need God's help to overcome the evil influences just as the disciples did back in that time. We believe that this is part of what Jesus is praying for us today. As long as we live here on earth we need God's help and God does help us in answers to the prayers of His Son Jesus.  This is a promise that if we let Him, God will keep us from the evil one.  God's way of keeping us is to preserve our souls even as we face difficulty in this world. Trust Him today!

February 13

“Remember your word to your servant, for you have given me hope. My comfort in my suffering is this: Your promise preserves my life.” Psalm 119:49-50 (NIV)

There are many promises in the Bible and often our verse on 90 Seconds with God is a promise. Today our verse is a different kind of promise. It is a promise of what promises do for us. Our focus is especially on the last words in the verse. How often have we found that a promise from God “preserves our life?” Another word might be renews our life. As we said, there are many promises in the Bible and they fit many different situations for many different needs. For some of us there may be certain promises that have been especially precious.  The Holy Spirit has reminded us of one or more of them just when we needed them and they made life worth living again, they renewed our life, they preserved our life. Think, my friend, of such a promise today and it will preserve and renew your life in the hours ahead. 

May 6

“Love the Lord, all his faithful people! The Lord preserves those who are true to him, but the proud he pays back in full. Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the Lord.”  Psalm 31:23-24 (NIV)

First David addresses his words of praise to God for His goodness and promise of His love. He warns those who are proud and then he says these encouraging words "be strong and take heart" to the followers of God. He had experienced God’s love and care in so many ways and he was anxious for all of us to have the same experience. Is not this the way it is with us, too? When we trust the Lord and see how faithful He is to us, don’t we wish others would experience His goodness just as we have? Maybe you are one who needs David’s message today. If you have been discouraged, “Be strong and take heart – hope in the Lord.”