There Is Life Even In The Fire
James 3:5-6 "In the same way, the tongue is a small thing that makes grand speeches. But a tiny spark can set a great forest on fire. It is a whole world of wickedness, corrupting your entire body. It can set your whole life on fire, for it is set on fire by hell itself."
These verses, popped a memory in my head. One that started out not so good. A lot of people that struggle with self-esteem and or their weight, have a "starting point" in their life where that happened. I believe with all of my heart, that is NOT what God had planned for us! That "people" make choices and decisions that affect others, in ways they may never know. Good and bad. Enter the memory at these verses.... When I was young, it only took a few comments from family members to affect me for MANY years to come! The sad thing is, that their negative words became the same talk I told myself, in my head, in private. The "tongue" is a great and mighty thing. Look how many years that "little muscle" has affected me and my life - my way of thinking - my way of dealing with things.... I am certain I am not alone in this! Looking back on my life growing up, I see how many times there was a 'forest fire' of sorts. Set ablaze by comments that someone said to me or about me. That one little spark, grew into a big 'ol fire! Then there were times, that someone just fanned the flames that were there burning. Yet at other times, someone threw an actual torch, and set things on fire big time!
This is how I see this passage/verses coming to life in my life. The words that were said, actually corrupted my whole body! The words and thoughts, lead to my hiding behind food. Like it was a shield of protection. My whole life went like wild fire many times. Blowing this way and that from the winds of change. Then, there came a day God allowed me to see and hear, what HE thinks of me! Not what abusive, assaulting, corrupted people said or thought of me - but HIS thoughts. His plan and design for me to understand and believe His love for me!
Just as the tongue can say a little spark of "fire" it can also speak floods of truth, like cleansing, fresh, wonderful water to the rescue! That is the love and grace filled with mercy and compassion that only comes from Jesus! Yes, it is true, that it does seem to take WAY more positive affirmations to cancel out just 1 negative one - but God has time! He has ALL the time in the world! Not by our standard of measure LOL but literally - ALL of the time in the world!! An hour can be like a second, and a minute can be like a day or even a year to Him. Today, I pray that you are made aware of your tongue and what it is doing to you and those around you today. I pray you bring forth refreshing, cleansing water that douses the flames of any unkind or negative things you or others have said. I pray that you speak kind, loving, and forgiving things to yourself today! Don't let the enemy lie to you or fan the flames of negative, self-doubt, and even abusive talk to yourself in your head either! What some people have done and said, planning for harm and evil - God IS going to turn it to good. For you! Yes! Why? Because He loves you THAT MUCH!!!! He WILL turn harsh, controlling, negative things that were spoken from someone's (or your own) lips towards you - to beautiful music in your ears of His love and affection to/for you! I pray that you can picture yourself getting into a BIG 'ol bathtub filled with loving bubbles of affirmation and encouragement. Bubble that will NOT pop or go away, instead, they will multiply and grow! The water, will remain just the right temperature for you too! Close your eyes, and just imagine it - picture it - feel it - accept it! It is a gift. Be well, and be safe today. KNOW that you are loved! God has drawn your "bath water" and filled it with bubbles, just for you! Climb on in!
Oh my goodness! Just had an MEF (minds eye flash)
A fire in a forest. Set a blaze by a tiny little ash. It catches one small thing on fire. That thing then gets a bit bigger in its flame, which then ignites something else - pretty soon things are burning. The wind blows, and now the sparks fly and land on dry things around it. Now all of those little sparks are turning into flames. More wind, more sparks, more flames..... THEN, in the middle of the heat and winds of harshness, comes clouds. Cooling, calming, refreshing clouds. They start to counter-blow the winds from the flames. Making the "winds" almost stand still. Then, the clouds start to gather together. Making a covering over the area that is burning. A mist starts to fall. Light at first. Which drowns out the little ashes that are flying here and there. But not really doing anything to the actual flames. As the clouds gather even more, drops start to form. Small, little drops start to get bigger, and faster. Pretty soon, the freshness is choking out the fire. The clouds are strong, persistent, and lower down over the fire, to bring fresh, cleansing, purifying rain to put out the flames. It looks like a beautiful symphony being played in live person right in front of me. A flame tries to reach up and gain strength through the clouds, but the clouds just gently surround it, and calm it down. The beauty and majesty of the calming affect on what was once raging, wild, and full of destruction - is now calm, smooth, and laying down to the rain. Beautiful little bits of "life" are springing up under the ashes of destruction. Soon, they will be big and strong, and replace things that were destroyed. Yes, there will remain some scars from this fire, but newness will be the growth coming up now. Wow!!
These verses, popped a memory in my head. One that started out not so good. A lot of people that struggle with self-esteem and or their weight, have a "starting point" in their life where that happened. I believe with all of my heart, that is NOT what God had planned for us! That "people" make choices and decisions that affect others, in ways they may never know. Good and bad. Enter the memory at these verses.... When I was young, it only took a few comments from family members to affect me for MANY years to come! The sad thing is, that their negative words became the same talk I told myself, in my head, in private. The "tongue" is a great and mighty thing. Look how many years that "little muscle" has affected me and my life - my way of thinking - my way of dealing with things.... I am certain I am not alone in this! Looking back on my life growing up, I see how many times there was a 'forest fire' of sorts. Set ablaze by comments that someone said to me or about me. That one little spark, grew into a big 'ol fire! Then there were times, that someone just fanned the flames that were there burning. Yet at other times, someone threw an actual torch, and set things on fire big time!
This is how I see this passage/verses coming to life in my life. The words that were said, actually corrupted my whole body! The words and thoughts, lead to my hiding behind food. Like it was a shield of protection. My whole life went like wild fire many times. Blowing this way and that from the winds of change. Then, there came a day God allowed me to see and hear, what HE thinks of me! Not what abusive, assaulting, corrupted people said or thought of me - but HIS thoughts. His plan and design for me to understand and believe His love for me!
Just as the tongue can say a little spark of "fire" it can also speak floods of truth, like cleansing, fresh, wonderful water to the rescue! That is the love and grace filled with mercy and compassion that only comes from Jesus! Yes, it is true, that it does seem to take WAY more positive affirmations to cancel out just 1 negative one - but God has time! He has ALL the time in the world! Not by our standard of measure LOL but literally - ALL of the time in the world!! An hour can be like a second, and a minute can be like a day or even a year to Him. Today, I pray that you are made aware of your tongue and what it is doing to you and those around you today. I pray you bring forth refreshing, cleansing water that douses the flames of any unkind or negative things you or others have said. I pray that you speak kind, loving, and forgiving things to yourself today! Don't let the enemy lie to you or fan the flames of negative, self-doubt, and even abusive talk to yourself in your head either! What some people have done and said, planning for harm and evil - God IS going to turn it to good. For you! Yes! Why? Because He loves you THAT MUCH!!!! He WILL turn harsh, controlling, negative things that were spoken from someone's (or your own) lips towards you - to beautiful music in your ears of His love and affection to/for you! I pray that you can picture yourself getting into a BIG 'ol bathtub filled with loving bubbles of affirmation and encouragement. Bubble that will NOT pop or go away, instead, they will multiply and grow! The water, will remain just the right temperature for you too! Close your eyes, and just imagine it - picture it - feel it - accept it! It is a gift. Be well, and be safe today. KNOW that you are loved! God has drawn your "bath water" and filled it with bubbles, just for you! Climb on in!
Oh my goodness! Just had an MEF (minds eye flash)
A fire in a forest. Set a blaze by a tiny little ash. It catches one small thing on fire. That thing then gets a bit bigger in its flame, which then ignites something else - pretty soon things are burning. The wind blows, and now the sparks fly and land on dry things around it. Now all of those little sparks are turning into flames. More wind, more sparks, more flames..... THEN, in the middle of the heat and winds of harshness, comes clouds. Cooling, calming, refreshing clouds. They start to counter-blow the winds from the flames. Making the "winds" almost stand still. Then, the clouds start to gather together. Making a covering over the area that is burning. A mist starts to fall. Light at first. Which drowns out the little ashes that are flying here and there. But not really doing anything to the actual flames. As the clouds gather even more, drops start to form. Small, little drops start to get bigger, and faster. Pretty soon, the freshness is choking out the fire. The clouds are strong, persistent, and lower down over the fire, to bring fresh, cleansing, purifying rain to put out the flames. It looks like a beautiful symphony being played in live person right in front of me. A flame tries to reach up and gain strength through the clouds, but the clouds just gently surround it, and calm it down. The beauty and majesty of the calming affect on what was once raging, wild, and full of destruction - is now calm, smooth, and laying down to the rain. Beautiful little bits of "life" are springing up under the ashes of destruction. Soon, they will be big and strong, and replace things that were destroyed. Yes, there will remain some scars from this fire, but newness will be the growth coming up now. Wow!!
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