Good morning, Lord

...“Whoever would love life

and see good days

must keep his tongue from evil

and his lips from deceitful speech.

I Peter 3:10

Good morning, Lord, oh what power we have in our mouth, we praise You and turn around and curse those made in Your image, whom You have called us to bless and be salt and light to. Please forgive us, heal our tongues and our hearts. We want to love life and see good days, please help us guard our hearts so our tongues will avoid evil and deceit, we pray in Jesus' name, amen.

James 3:1-12

Taming the Tongue

 Not many of you should presume to be teachers, my brothers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly. We all stumble in many ways. If anyone is never at fault in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to keep his whole body in check.

 When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal. Or take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go. Likewise the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.

 All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and creatures of the sea are being tamed and have been tamed by man, but no man can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.

 With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God’s likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be. Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring? My brothers, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water.