SCRIP-BITS

Proverbs 18:7.     A fool’s mouth is his destruction, and his lips are the snare of his soul.
 
Happy April (All) Fool’s Day Friends! Now don’t go out and play any serious pranks on anyone. By the way, March did not go out whimpering, for after writing yesterday’s Bit and hoping for no more snow, when I looked outside, the place was white. Hn! Not the real heavy stuff though, because it was gone by midday, but it was still snow, enough to give our God a li’l chuckle at my expense. Who says He doesn’t have a sense of humour eh! Anyway, today is Friday, and I know you all are chomping at the bit to chant our Friday Chant. So here goes; loud and clear now. ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through another week of work! It hasn’t been easy, but with your generous help, I made it through. Now, please help me to get sufficient fun, fellowship, rest and relaxation in these two short days off, so that I can be renewed and refreshed in soul, body and mind, to go back out and do it all over again next week, furthering your glorious kingdom with each step I take. I pray this in Jesus name. Amen.’ And I hope we all uttered those positive words with a positive outlook, because all through life we bring to ourselves the fruit of our words. If we speak negatively, then negative fruit is what we reap. But when positive stuff that agrees with God’s Word flows from our lips, then good, positive fruit is harvested. Our Bit declares it quite rightly: ‘A fool’s mouth is his destruction, and his lips are the snare of his soul.’ Oh Friends, it’s ever so important that we guard our tongues, for: ‘Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter (forest) a little fire kindleth (sets on fire)! And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members (the tongue is so set), that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature (existence); and it is set on fire of hell (by Satan).’ (James 3:5-6) Yes my people, we all know that the tongue is small but very powerful, capable of creating much strife and contention if we allow it to do so. Many a war has been started by an unwise, unruly and foolish tongue, that’s why Bruh David wisely advises us to: ‘Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile (deceit) (Ps.34:13) For if we speak evil, deceitful stuff, like a boomerang, it will surely come back to haunt us one day. Cousin Sol also declared that: ‘Wise men lay up knowledge: but the mouth of the foolish is near destruction.’ (Prov.10:14) And I’m sure all of us have heard someone shoot off their mouth without thinking, or done it personally, even in justified anger, and sadly paid the price later on. This other proverb spells it out even more clearly. ‘Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that LOVE it shall eat the fruit thereof.’ (Prov.18:21) Please note the amount of people that are getting in trouble these days for their thoughtless, unwise words, either through texting, talking or one of the many forms of communication that our world now embraces. And the reality is that most of us have very little of interest or use to communicate, which leads us to communicating nonsense…and pay the price. Please remember that my people. As the Preacher proclaims: ‘The words of a wise man’s mouth are gracious; but the lips of a fool will swallow up himself.’ (Eccl.10:12) It’s a fact that many of us have at times been swallowed up by our useless talk and incompetent behaviour, but it’s time to stop that unwise kind of action Friends. For those of us who find our lives aren’t going so good, then maybe it’s time to change the words we use, the way we talk about things. Instead, let’s have our words line up with God’s Word, regardless of our circumstances or of how we feel. Oh my people, our words are so important in all aspects of our lives that Peter thought it fit to reuse Bruh David’s advise in his own message. ‘For he that will LOVE life, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile: Let him eschew (turn away from) evil, and do good; let him seek peace, and ensue (pursue it). For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers: but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil.’ (1 Pet.3:10-12) Truer words have never been spoken my brethren, so please take them to heart. And whoever said that words are wind but blows are unkind was talking somewhat foolishly, for words have the ability to hurt more than any blow, and the hurt from the blow usually heals quicker and with fewer side effects than those of words. So please Friends, starting NOW, let’s all seriously watch the words we speak. And the first step in that regard is to think before we talk, a crime which too many of us are guilty of nowadays. Much LOVE!…the tongue…it hot and tallawa…so powerful…that it can either make or break us…