Watch Your Language

 

Good day! I’m Duane Matz and this is Today’s Living Word.

 

Pro 23:7a says:  For as he thinks in his heart, so is he

 

Have you ever entertained some sin in your heart and it’s like slamming on your spiritual brakes and you find yourself wondering, “Where did that thought  come from? I thought I was free and clear of that sin a long time ago!”

 

It happened to me just the other day. I was angry at someone for a very legitimate reason! And I dropped an f bomb against them in my thoughts!

 

Where did that come from Lord?  It took me by complete surprise. I haven’t thought that word or used that word since the day before I came back to Christ! (Where, I must confess, I had used it a lot!)

 

It may seem strange to some of you, but the first thing the Holy Spirit cleaned up upon my conversion was my foul mouth. Cursing in Jesus name? Gone! F-bombs and other uncivil words…Gone! Until today. (41 years later)

 

 What happened?

 

 The F-bomb and other foul words had been lying dormant in my heart and suddenly it awakened! And I don’t like it! I think I know where it came from I think I know what awakened that slumbering sin in my . It snuck in through the open door of social media.

 

I check into social media  often just to kill time, and it seems that no one can express themselves on social media without throwing f-bombs on every post and every tweet.

 

Eventually, this bombardment of it wore me down, and found  acceptance in my thought life. The next step of course is to pass through my vocal chords and verbally express it.  

I know how to deal with this uprising of coarse language.

And all other sins for that matter! 1Jo 1:9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

 

I need to be reminded of Holy Spirit led speech! The kind spoken of in  Col 4:6 Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one.

 

Graceful speech and f-bombs don’t mix! And as Christians our speech should be seasoned with salt, not seasoned with salty language.

 

I’m Duane Matz and that’s Todays Living Word.

Show God the Letter

 

Good day! I’m Duane Matz and this is Today’s Living Word

 

2Ki 19:14 And Hezekiah received the letter from the hand of the messengers, and read it; and Hezekiah went up to the house of the LORD, and spread it before the LORD.

 

Bad news. It can come to us in many ways. Could be bad test results from the doctor, or a letter from the IRS, or could be a “dear John letter” (for you younglings, that’s a heart wrenching letter that says the relationship is over.)

 

Hezekiah had just received a threatening letter from the King of Assyria. The King mentioned all of his latest conquests and then basically said “your next Hezekiah!”

 

Hezekiah immediately, with letter in hand, went to the house of the Lord and spread  the letter out before the Lord.

 

It seems kind of silly in a way, I mean God is aware of the situation, letter or not, but this laying out of the letter is in itself a prayer.

 

It says, Father, I have been threatened by the king of Assyria.

 

It reminds me of the wedding at Cana, Mary comes to Jesus and says, “They are out of wine.” She doesn’t tell Jesus what to do, but she does tell the servants to do whatever Jesus tells them to do.

 

And the prayer was answered.

 

Sometimes a prayer is answered by just trusting God to hear and act.

It could be something like “the plumber is coming today” or,  “I’m taking the car to the shop today,” or in a more serious situation, “Lord, “I got divorce papers today,” or “I’ve been diagnosed with cancer”

 

It doesn’t matter what the need is, put it before the Lord, not demanding that He fix the situation your way, rather trusting Him to work it out.

 

I’m Duane Matz and that’s Today’s Living Word.

 

Delight In the Lord

Good day! I’m Duane Matz and this is Today’s Living Word

I recently celebrated my 78^th birthday,  God has allowed me 78 years on His turntable of trips around the sun, And like the old 78 rpm records my voice is getting a little scratchy.  I am thankful for the voice he has given me and for the avenues which He has given me to express the truths found in His Word.

 

I am a blessed man, and I can say with David, Ps 16:6 “The lines are fallen unto me in pleasant places.” And I often wonder, “Who am I Lord that You would visit me! Ps 8:4 What is man that You are mindful of him, And the son of man that You visit him? 5 For You have made him a little lower than the angels, And You have crowned him with glory and honor.

 

Every thing that I have comes from the Lord, He has literally given me the desires of my heart! Ps 37:4 Delight yourself also in the LORD, And He shall give you the desires of your heart. The word “delight” here means to be pliable in the hands of the Potter (God) To be pliable is to be obedient, and that obedience will lead you to God’s will for your life.

 

You will get a refreshing take on this verse when you insert “be pliable”: for “delight.”  Try it, right now! “ Be pliable in the Lord’s hands  and He shall give you the desires of your heart,”

The refreshing part of this Psalm is you and I have just one thing to do. Be pliable! Be like soft clay in the hands of the Potter! We don’t have to waste a  lot of energy trying to figure out our life’s purpose!

 

That clay is being shaped with every act of obedience on our part. He will do the rest, and we will be on our way to fulfilling our purpose in His kingdom

Eph 2:10 will come to pass! “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.

 

Your purpose in life (God’s will for you) is made plain as you)  daily submit to Him. No guess work on our part. He knows His plans for you and I, and our pliability in His hands will get us there.

 

I’m Duane Matz and that’s today’s Living Word.

Oh Look! A Squirrel

Good day! I’m Duane Matz and this is Today’s Living Word

 

Happy New Year! Last year I wanted to come up with one word as a benchmark for the coming year and the word that the Lord gave me was “engage.”

I sought to engage (connect) the culture of the world and the culture of the church with God’s Word. …the Bible.

 

It turns out that the word I selected was even more personal than I thought it would be. God reminded me (Oh look! A squirrel!) that I have a bad habit of disengaging in one on one situations and conversations. I’m often off in a different world even before I make eye contact with the person I am conversing with.

 

It’s a character flaw that I am not proud of, and with the help of the Lord, and the Holy Spirit I am determined to press on, reminding myself that there will always be squirrels, and I would be better off engaging the person who I am conversing with the way Jesus did!.

 

Checking out of a conversation puts me in Duane’s world, and that is a small world indeed. It winds up being just me and the squirrels.

 

Lord, help me to engage with people around me, like Jesus engaged people around Him. Remember his encounter with the rich young ruler? Jesus did not say “this is what you must do to inherit eternal,   O look a squirrel”

 

Is that what He did! No Mr 10:21 Then Jesus, looking at him, loved him,  That’s the target, that’s the example Jesus gave us. Lord help us all as we seek to engage (connect) with others!

 

I’m Duane Matz and that’s today’s Living Word

Tell Your Face About It

 

Good day! I’m Duane Matz and this is Today’s Living Word

 

1Sa 14:27 But Jonathan had not heard his father charge the people with the oath; (He had called for a fast) therefore he stretched out the end of the rod that was in his hand and dipped it in a honeycomb, and put his hand to his mouth; and his countenance brightened. Mmmmmmmmmmmm honey!

 

I can’t help but grin as I read this passage. It reminds me of a standing joke in our family. My wife never has to wonder if I liked a dish she has prepared, All she has to do is read my countenance (my face) mmmmmmm Mayonaise Potato salad!

 

 

It’s just like that Olivia Newton John song, “Every Face Tells A Story”

 

Recently I have retired from the airwaves of The Family radio station, but I used to end my show with this little challenge: “Jesus loves you…tell your face about it.” It just seems that there are too many “dour” faces on the followers of Christ.

 

A couple of weeks ago I was in the waiting room at the VA clinic in Green Bay, a woman walked by and looked at me and said  “smile.”  What? Since when do I need a reminder from a complete stranger to fix my countenance?  

 

Something is not right about that!  I must be leaking joy or peace! Maybe some mourning going on as I realize my broadcasting days are over at The Family. Maybe I am not handling my Parkinson’s diagnosis as well as I think I am.

 

Whatever it is, I don’t like it   I don’t like having  to think about my countenance! I don’t want to paint a fake smile on my face! That is bordering on hypocrisy!

 

I wanna be like Moses who was beaming so much, he had to put a veil on after spending some time with God! The best way I know how to do that is to ever be mindful of what Jesus did on the cross for me, for you, for the world. Jesus loves me and I am forgiven, Gotta practice what I preach and tell my face about it.

 

I’m Duane Matz and that’s today’s Living Word.

Humble Pliability

 

Good day! I’m Duane Matz and this is Today’s Living Word

 

I have a Christmas present for those viewing or reading this devo for today.  This is what I am praying for you today!

 

I am praying for you today.

 

Ps 20:4 May He grant you according to your heart's desire, And fulfill all your purpose. 5 We will rejoice in your salvation, And in the name of our God we will set up our banners! May the LORD fulfill all your petitions.

 

Add Psalm 37:4 to this prayer: ?Delight yourself also in the LORD, And He shall give you the desires of your heart.”

 

The word “delight” here means to be pliable like clay. As the clay obeys the potter so we too seek to obey our Lord.  Be pliable (obedient to His hands) and He will shape us into the vessel He created us to be. You don’t have to figure it all out yourself, just be pliable in His hands and He will get you to the God-given desires of your heart, He will “fulfill the purpose that He created for you1

 

Saved by grace through faith we are ready to tackle what He will bring our way.

Eph 2:8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God,

 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast.

 10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.

 

Humble pliability will get you to where God wants you to be fulfilling that purpose for which you were created. What a great gift the Father has for you and I.

 

Merry Christmas!

 

I’m Duane Matz and that’s today’s Living Word.

A Fistful of Wind

 

Good day! I’m Duane Matz and this is Today’s Living Word

 

 2Sa 5:22-25, “Then the Philistines went up once again and deployed themselves in the Valley of Rephaim.  23 Therefore David inquired of the LORD, and He said, "You shall not go up; circle around behind them, and come upon them in front of the mulberry trees.  24 "And it shall be, when you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the mulberry trees, then you shall advance quickly. For then the LORD will go out before you to strike the camp of the Philistines."  25 And David did so, as the LORD commanded him; and he drove back the Philistines from Geba as far as Gezer. (2 Sam 5:22-25)

 

The Philistines regroup and amass their troops for a second attempt to defeat Israel, and once again David wisely seeks the Lord as to whether or not he should engage the enemy.  But God gives David an unusual answer. He says, “Don't meet them head on, I want you to circle up behind them and attack them from the mulberry trees.”

 

Further God tells David to hold off the attack until He gives him the signal, and that signal would be the “sound of marching in the mulberry trees.”  Obviously, this would be a very noticeable rustling of the leaves caused by the winds, which (in case you didn’t know it) are enclosed in the fist of God!

 

Pr 30:4 Who has ascended into heaven, or descended? Who has gathered the wind in His fists? Who has bound the waters in a garment? Who has established all the ends of the earth? What is  His name, and what is His Son's name, If you know?

 

By the grace of God we know His name, it is Jehovah. And we know His Son’s name…it is Jesus. He can gather the wind into His fist and He can release it at His will.

 

Go ahead, you try that. Try to gather  just a wisp of a breeze in your hand. How’d you do? You didn’t do!

 

 

The point is, God is God even of the wind and He wants David to rely on Him so David will understand that the battle belongs to the Lord!  Zec 4:6b says, “'Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,'”

 

This battle is a great picture of that first Day of Pentecost when Jesus told the disciples to wait in Jerusalem until they received power from on high and then....”suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting.” It was their signal to leave the house and join with God in confronting the enemy with the gospel!

 

So where is the wind of the Spirit today? Where is God moving?

 

I can't answer that for you. All I can tell you to do is hop in the boat and hoist your sails and wait for the wind to come to you. God is just looking for some willing sailors.

 

You might be dead in the water now,  don't panic! Wait for the Lord! Spend this time by prayerfully reading His Word. That way, you'll be ready, willing, and able when the wind blows and the Spirit will take you where He wants you to be.

 

I’m Duane Matz and that’s today’s Living Word.