Tail or Tongue Wag

Today I was grievously reminded of tongue ownership! I wag my tongue, and have wielded it weapon like, drawing invisible blood from those I have condemned in my mind and heart, and man alive, Matthew Henry brought me to the point of suffering for my shameful sin this morning. God owns all souls, and tongues too. Jesus could have used his tongue to speak devastating words of destruction to literally cut and slash his accusers, mockers, and usurpers, while hanging from the cross, but alas, he spoke mercy instead:

Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. And they parted his raiment, and cast lots (Luke 23:34)

Jesus is the King of glory. The gates of heaven were open when the Lamb was slain for the sake of sinners. His pure blood was shed, so ours does not have to be spilled, and yet, we do not live as though we owe him our lives, our being. 

Do you have a dog, dear reader? I had two up until last year. One of the things I appreciate about dogs is the tail wag of delight. If you are their master, and they see you after you have somehow disappeared from their perpetual and vigilant watching over you, they will wag their tail end until it hits their sides ... the occasional whimper lets you know too, that your presence was missed. I have often wondered, how wonderful it would be, if we all greeted each other similarly!

Okay, I admit, I have greeted people this way in the past, people that make me very happy, people that I can't believe I get to hang out with, people that make me feel like I am in a personal private heaven, just me and them. It is an adoring feeling, a mutual appreciation ... I may be their pet, or they may be mine ... it is a sweetness to have affinity, isn't that so?

What then, when aversion is present, when there is dissimilitude, dislike, and antipathy? What do we do with these sentiments? I am learning what I must not do, and I am learning what I would really like to do and who I want to be like ... I would like to be just like Jesus, interceding on behalf of wrong doers, enemies of Christ, enemies of his people. Today in my broken state, I prayed in earnest for wisdom and then, miracle of miracles, I prayed in earnest for all those that I do not want to be damned that have done me harm! Phew, Jesus answers prayers I tell you. Saints cannot stand their own sin, whether it is ancient history, or yesterday's debacles: it pains us to no end to know we have insulted our Father in heaven. 

Not long ago I got kicked off of LinkedIn, for the second time. I knew I had pushed the community limits, and I also knew that I could not continue engaging in what was a fruitless endeavour, of which is trying to convince worldly people that they are caught in the snare Satan has set for them. Only God can detangle, and cut a person loose from their state of stupor. I am no match for the wiles of the devil, AND God Almighty is the power, the might, the fight we need to do battle for us daily. Getting ousted from LinkedIn freed my mind to focus on what is valuable to God, and I really don't take too much notice anymore, of what the wicked are up to. They are the naughty children I do not want to play with ... no tongue or tail wagging for them! 

I will always see the evil, and I will always grieve it too. In my Bible studying, in my prayers, in my weeping, I will petition for souls, that, dear reader, is the work of saints; we have been given a ministry of reconciliation, and those whom God will save are those whom God will save. We know not who or when, but then again, that is none of our business!

I tell you this: the more time I spend with God, learning who he is and how much he loves us, the more I am at peace. Grieving isn't a sign of peace-less-ness, it is a signal that we understand the gravity of our circumstances, and that we feel the suffering all around us, and wish somehow we could/can alleviate it. We can't, but God can, and that, dear reader, is why we pray. 

It matters not to me what someone has done. What matters to me is that people go to God. I don't think I write amiss when I say, that as long as we admit to our sins, confess them to God, repent and trust in Jesus as the gate through which we enter heaven, that we can have the peace that surpasses all understanding while we wait for the joy of eternity with God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Ghost. 

Sinners saved, that is the ultimate goal, to the glory of God, through Christ our Lord. 

Amen 💖

NOTE: If you look closely, my dog Dot is curled on top of my feet, and my dog Cesar is looking up at me hoping I will drop some food ... if only humans loved with doggie trust and devotion!