JOB 27
4 My lips shall not speak wickedness, nor my tongue utter deceit.
5 God forbid that I should justify you: till I die I will not remove mine integrity from me.
6 My righteousness I hold fast, and will not let it go: my heart shall not reproach me so long as I live.
BITE YOUR TONGUE!!!
咬住舌头！！！
To most people the book of Job is only about the first two chapters and the last five, but in between we have some of the most glorious passages of scripture in the bible.
Job has to defend himself against his three so called friends, who constantly tell him, why everything has gone wrong.
You will probably recognise these people in your church, they have an answer for everything.
Job maintains his integrity throughout and although God does tell him off at the end, I reckon it’s more about reminding Job, who God is and that he has every right to do what he has done to Job, he owes Job and us no explanation for his actions.
We often have to bite our tongue, we really want to say something, to reply to an insult. but we need to be like Job and keep in mind verse 4, that we will never speak wickedness or that deceit would flow from our tongue.
I imagine James, must have been thinking of these thoughts when he wrote in his wonderful epistle, these words in chapter 3
5 Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth!
6 And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell.
7 For every kind of beasts, and of birds, and of serpents, and of things in the sea, is tamed, and hath been tamed of mankind:
8 But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.
Job was in complete control of his tongue, now this didn’t mean that he didn’t speak, but that the things coming out of his mouth truly were words of love and grace, just look at verses 5-6, his three friends want him to justify their accusations, he wouldn’t do that. He will hold onto his integrity before God. Note that his heart will not reproach him for anything he says, you know it says in proverbs, that out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.
Job’s heart was full and overflowing with abundant thoughts of love, that why love and truth came out of his mouth?
What is coming out of your mouth believer? Make verse 4 a prayer Christian that no words of wickedness and deceit would flow from your mouth…to do this make sure your heart is guarded from all thoughts of wickedness. Proverbs 4:23-27
God bless you
KK