The Devouring Tongue – by Toni Babcock
"Thou lovest all devouring words, O thou deceitful tongue," (Psalm 52:4 KJV).
In this verse from the psalms, David describes the deceitful tongue as a "devouring" tongue. A tongue it appears, with an appetite for bringing down its prey. We've all heard the clichés about eating one another alive. What do we mean? We mean devouring words. Diminishing words. Words that take away but never give away. Words that snuff out whatever smoldering hope a soul might dare to entertain.
This is why it's so important to never entertain a devouring tongue - to never allow our tongues to be hijacked by a spirit of resentment, or jealousy, cruelty, or bitterness, rivalry, ugliness, or evil. And if we should ever encounter the devouring tongue, we should stand strong in the Lord, and let all our hope and expectation come from God. There we will not be disappointed.
The words that come from God do not devour his children. They may discipline us when needed, but the same word will empower our faith and the courage to live according to his will. "What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? He that spared not His own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?" That is God's life giving tongue speaking, and the story gets better. You can read the rest of the passage here: (Romans 8:31-39 KJV).
Toni M. Babcock is the author of The Stone Writer, Christian Fiction for Young Readers and Teens. Contact |
