Daily Fountain Devotional 25 September 2020 for Anglican Communion
TOPIC: Watch Your Words
TEXT: Ecclesiastes 5:1-7(NKJV)
1. Walk prudently when you go to the house of God; and draw near to hear rather than to give the sacrifice of fools, for they do not know that they do evil.
2. Do not be rash with your mouth, And let not your heart utter anything hastily before God. For God [is] in heaven, and you on earth; Therefore let your words be few.
3. For a dream comes through much activity, And a fool’s voice [is known] by [his] many words.
4. When you make a vow to God, do not delay to pay it; For [He has] no pleasure in fools. Pay what you have vowed —
5. Better not to vow than to vow and not pay.
6. Do not let your mouth cause your flesh to sin, nor say before the messenger [of God] that it [was] an error. Why should God be angry at your excuse and destroy the work of your hands?
7. For in the multitude of dreams and many words [there is] also vanity. But fear God.
Daily Fountain Devotional 25 September 2020 Message
STUDY: It is interesting to note that God places caution on how we engage our tongues to express our thoughts and feelings in life. Words are very powerful and Christians are constantly admonished to use them with careful consideration of their positive and negative impacts. In our passage today, we are told “Do not be rash with your mouth, and let not your heart utter anything before God. For God is in heaven and you are on earth; therefore let your words be few” (v.2). James 3:7-10 reveals what we can achieve with our words. It is a reality that our words are prompted by our feelings, thoughts and inspiration. As Christians, we must not stumble in word but rather control what comes out of our mouths.
Beloved as you go out today, be aware that there are people who will annoy you;there are situations that could prompt negative reactions from you. Your response to them will communicate your Christianity and virtues to those around you. There are Christians who rain curses at every slightest provocation. Some even go to the extent of declaring publicly that Christ be put aside when they are angry.
There are Christian homes that have become a place of noise and trouble owing to inability to engage the tongue for positive purposes. Our words can defile us before God if we misuse them. Jesus Christ says “Not what goes into the mouth defiles a person but what comes out of the mouth, this defiles a man” (Matthew 15:11). It is interesting to note that a man speaks from the abundance of his heart,therefore, in all your endeavours today, do not be hasty to utter anything prompted by situations around you. Let your words be seasoned with grace so your hearers will be edified. Do not speak rashly today.
PRAYER: Dear heavenly Father, grant me grace to be watchful in the way I use my tongue, in Jesus name. Amen.
DAILY QUOTE: “Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been proved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.” (James 1:12)
Daily Fountain Devotional 25 September 2020 – The Church of Nigeria is the Anglican church in Nigeria. It is the second-largest province in the Anglican Communion, as measured by baptized membership, after the Church of England. It gives its current membership as “over 18 million”, out of a total Nigerian population of over 200 million.