Date: Monday, 16th October, 2023
Text: Matthew 12:22-37
Author: Pastor Adedeji Fadehan
Exhortation:
The words we speak reflect who we are and the nature of our hearts. For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks- Matthew 12:34b.
Words have power to justify and condemn depending on how we use the tongue- Matthew 12:37.
The will of the Father is that no unwholesome talk should come out of our mouths, but only what is helpful and beneficial for building others up according to their needs. Ephesians 4:29.
According to today’s text, a man who was possessed with a devil, blind, and dumb was brought to Jesus and he healed him, so that the blind and dumb both spoke and saw. Instead of the religious Pharisees to rejoice and praise God who made the miracle possible, they began to find fault in the Healer and falsely claimed he did the miracle by an evil power called Beelzebub.
Jesus described their words as idle or empty words for which they must give account on the Judgement Day. Unknowing to them, they blasphemed by speaking against the Holy Spirit, who was the power behind the miracles Jesus performed. By so doing they earned eternal condemnation for themselves.
Sometimes we speak on things we have little or no knowledge about. Exaggeration comes in, lying follows. When words are many, transgression is not lacking, but he who restrains his lips is prudent. Proverbs 10:19.
The Psalmist’s words should be our daily prayer “Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my strength, and my redeemer.” Psalm 19:14
Prayer Nugget: In Jesus name, let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my strength, and my redeemer