Day 150 - (Today’s Bible readings: Leviticus 16:1-19; Psalm 119:169-176; 1 Corinthians 7:25–40)
But above all, my brothers, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or by any other oath, but let your “yes” be yes and your “no” be no, so that you may not fall under condemnation. (James 5:12 ESV)
Sometimes it is really hard to figure out what the Bible is saying. That is not the case with today’s verse. Don’t swear! Don’t bring God in as your witness either. Instead, let your simple words speak for themselves without swearing or oath taking. Many times a simple “yes,” “no,” “ouch,” or “oh” will do just fine.
I remember walking into a convenience store at a gas station and hearing two men talking rather loudly. One of them was not merely swearing or making an inappropriate oath. He was blaspheming the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. After a brief prayer for wisdom that would prompt spiritually edifying words, I said to the men. “Isn’t it great that the One your are mentioning so often loves you more than you can ever imagine? May our Lord Jesus bless you both in every way. Have a great day.”
While what I said was more than a “yes” or “no,” it was said in a similar vein. No demeaning or derogatory words were shared, but simply a statement of the fact of Christ’s love for them.
Lord, please guide my speech today so that nothing foul or inappropriate can come our of my mouth. Instead, may the simple message of Your love flow through me to others. Amen.
Pastor David Paape
“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path” (Psalm 119:105 ), is the theme for this three-year journey through the entire Old Testament once (the Psalms - twice yearly), and the New Testament twice. There will be daily readings form the O.T., Psalms and the N.T. Special days on the church calendar will be highlighted with appropriate readings. This calendar has been compiled by representatives of the Lutheran Church of Canada, the North American Lutheran Church and the Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod. Please click this link for the daily reading calendar:
https://blogs.lcms.org/2017/lcms-lcc-and-nalc-compile-three-year-schedule-of-daily-bible-readings
Then scroll down to 2018 Bible Reading Calendar and download it if you so wish. The “assigned” daily readings will appear on a daily basis in this blog. May the Lord bless you meditation upon His precious life-giving Word!
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