Psalm 34:13-14 AMPC
[13] Keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking deceit. [14] Depart from evil and do good; seek, inquire for, and crave peace and pursue (go after) it!
David is credited with writing the words of the verses above, taken from a song he wrote after he had the wisdom to feign madness before Achish the king of Gath, who then drove him away. He could have been killed, as he was responsible for the death of several of the soldiers of Gath, but God always shows up for His own in many strange ways. When God shows up for us, what is the response to His deliverance? When God delivers us from trouble and dangerous situations, do we even bother to go back and say thank you to God? Are we only interested in what we can get from God, without so much thought about what we are required to give back to God in return? Like David, I am reminded that even when things do not go according to plan, God remains God. His standards have not changed, and He will not lower them for anybody. As the verses above lay it out, we will do well to live in line with the standards of God, so we can take hold of all that God is, has, and wants to give.
My whole existence must be an offering that reflects a surrendered life. There are parts of my body that will definitely show who is in charge. One of such body parts is my tongue. It is a part that can be used for both noble and ignoble purposes. Under the influence of the devil, it can be a massive tool for the destruction of lives. As the Bible so clearly puts it, the tongue is a fire, and it can corrupt the entire body. It releases a fire that can burn throughout the entire course of human existence. The same tongue is used in the praise of God, and when not subjected to God's control, can also be used to curse men, who are made in the likeness of God. It is not possible for the same spring of water to produce both fresh and salt water. My life cannot be a contradiction; it is either I show God off, or the devil is made manifest in me. It cannot be both at the same time. Output must reflect input. What flows out must be such that looks like what I have spent time storing up.
I am also asked to depart from evil and do good. You cannot depart from something that is your nature, unless that nature has first been dealt with. You will be working contrary to your old nature if you depart from evil. There is also no vacuum allowed; you cannot clean all the junk out of your life, and then not fill the space with something else. Nature abhors a vacuum. As I take out the trash of the old nature, I seek after, inquire for, and crave the peace that is of God. That is why I depart from evil and do good. I do not take one and ignore the other. I cannot be active in one and just allow the other happen of its own accord. If I am constantly seeking to please the old nature, it means that my life is not currently surrendered to God. I must consciously go after that which nurtures and sustains God's nature in me. I spend time on the things that build up and enhance God's nature in me. That is when the peace of God can be made manifest in me. You want His peace? Make sure He is IN you. God's time of favour is here.
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