THE TONGUE REVEALS THE HEART
An army officer was loudly dressing down his troops when a chaplain passed by within hear-
ing distance. Later, when the two met, the officer apologized to the chaplain for using profanity,
but defended his actions by insisting it was the only he could get his men to obey. The chaplain
said, “I recall reading about one officer who didn’t have to use profanity to get obedience.” The
officer asked, “Who?” The chaplain answered, “I do not know his name, but he was a Roman
centurion stationed in Capernaum. When he said to one soldier, Go, he went; and when he said
another, Come, he came. When he said to a servant, Do this, the servant did it. Now I would
think that if a Roman centurion could exercise such authority over heathen soldiers, we ought to
be able to do at least as well.” (You can read about the Roman centurion in Matthew chapter 8).
Jesus taught that the tongue reveals the heart. “The good man out of his good treasure bring-
eth forth good things: and the evil man out of his evil treasure bringeth forth evil things. And I
say unto you, that every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day
of judgment. For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be con-
demned” (Matt. 12:35-37). “Death and life are in the power of the tongue; And they that love it
shall eat the fruit thereof” (Prov. 18:21). “Whoso keepeth his mouth and his tongue keepeth his
soul from evil” (Prov. 21:23). We need to be sure to taste our words because on day the Lord will make us eat them. James
reminds us that “...the tongue is a fire: the world of iniquity among our members is the tongue,
which defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the wheel of nature, and is set on fire by hell.
For every kind of beasts and birds, of creeping things and things in the sea, is tamed and hath
been tamed by mankind. But the tongue can no man tame; it is a restless evil, it is full of deadly
poison. Therewith bless we the Lord and Father; and therewith curse we men, who made after
the likeness of God: out of the same mouth cometh forth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these
things ought not so to be” (James 3:6-10). THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK: No one ever climbed a hill simply by looking at it.
Have a great week!
Love ya,
Jesse
ing distance. Later, when the two met, the officer apologized to the chaplain for using profanity,
but defended his actions by insisting it was the only he could get his men to obey. The chaplain
said, “I recall reading about one officer who didn’t have to use profanity to get obedience.” The
officer asked, “Who?” The chaplain answered, “I do not know his name, but he was a Roman
centurion stationed in Capernaum. When he said to one soldier, Go, he went; and when he said
another, Come, he came. When he said to a servant, Do this, the servant did it. Now I would
think that if a Roman centurion could exercise such authority over heathen soldiers, we ought to
be able to do at least as well.” (You can read about the Roman centurion in Matthew chapter 8).
Jesus taught that the tongue reveals the heart. “The good man out of his good treasure bring-
eth forth good things: and the evil man out of his evil treasure bringeth forth evil things. And I
say unto you, that every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day
of judgment. For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be con-
demned” (Matt. 12:35-37). “Death and life are in the power of the tongue; And they that love it
shall eat the fruit thereof” (Prov. 18:21). “Whoso keepeth his mouth and his tongue keepeth his
soul from evil” (Prov. 21:23). We need to be sure to taste our words because on day the Lord will make us eat them. James
reminds us that “...the tongue is a fire: the world of iniquity among our members is the tongue,
which defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the wheel of nature, and is set on fire by hell.
For every kind of beasts and birds, of creeping things and things in the sea, is tamed and hath
been tamed by mankind. But the tongue can no man tame; it is a restless evil, it is full of deadly
poison. Therewith bless we the Lord and Father; and therewith curse we men, who made after
the likeness of God: out of the same mouth cometh forth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these
things ought not so to be” (James 3:6-10). THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK: No one ever climbed a hill simply by looking at it.
Have a great week!
Love ya,
Jesse
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