Matthew 12:36 But I say unto you, “That EVERY idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment.”

Ecclesiastes 12:14 For God shall bring EVERY work into judgment, with EVERY secret thing, whether it be good or whether it be evil

Romans 2:16 in the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel.

Consider the power of words

These scriptures are sobering!!! The Word is all-inclusive. No excuses allowed. No justification. No rationalization. Just this fact: I will be judged for every word, thought, deed, secret, ……….every single one!

I got a taste of this judgment last week. A word (a bunch of words strung together) said in jest became a stone hurled at another and the damage was immediate and will be ongoing. Once flung into cyberspace, I could not retrieve them. A heart shattered by my carelessness. God the Father took notice and confronted me with it immediately!

Conviction

I was undone. I was remorseful but nothing could repair the damage I did to an already very wounded heart. I knew I would live with the consequences for a long time. Even minutes can seem like years when you are standing before the judgment of God. You see, only God can forget. Man does not have this ability. We can forgive but rarely do we forget the hurt caused by words, deeds, secrets shared, or unkind thoughts toward us.

Confession/Apologizing

An apology can only do so much. I heard this recently: Love alone chooses forgiveness before an infraction is done. Jesus chose to forgive us before the foundation of the world. Isn’t that astounding. (Ephesians 1:4) Before God the Father set the universe in motion, Jesus had chosen to do WHATEVER it took to redeem His Father’s greatest creation: man. So when we ask forgiveness, God grants it based on Jesus taking on what should have been my (our) punishment.

Accountability for every word

However, just because we are forgiven and loved anyway, doesn’t mean we will not have to give an account. No excuses will be tolerated. No blaming allowed. We will be required to stand and see just what we have done to cause Jesus to give His life. We will see the pain we caused others and Jesus. The cost of our sin will be evident and we will recognize how very unworthy we are of forgiveness.

Roller Coaster Life

Last week, The Lord God of Heaven heard my prayers of many years and the answer came walking through my door. My heart rejoiced, my face smiled from ear to ear, and I felt like I was walking in pure sunlight though it was raining.  When I failed my friend and received forgiveness, I went from utter despair to pure thanksgiving on my face and in tears.

Gratitude

Two experiences of gratitude in the same week. Two sides to the same coin. I have a feeling there will be more of the second reaction on judgment day than the first.

Lessons in the fire

A lesson learned in the fire. Each is all-inclusive! Not one SINGLE word thought, deed, or secret will escape. God the Father sees all, hears all, knows all, judges all. It is only through Jesus He forgets all we have confessed.

Oh, be careful little eyes what you see; be careful little ears what you hear, for the Father up above is looking down in LOVE, so be careful little lips what you say!

 

 

 

Father,

May I never forget this lesson!  Put Your hand over my mouth and remove Your hand only when You want me to speak so that I never again hurl a stone of hurt regardless of circumstances. May I never allow any unwholesome talk to come out of my mouth, but only what is helpful for building others up according to THEIR needs, that it may benefit those who listen.

( Ephesians 4:29) May my words encourage the disheartened, help the weak, and be patient, (I Thess 5:14) not looking to my own interests but to the interests of others. (Phil. 2:4) May I always protect the hearts of others, always hold hope for them, and help them persevere. (I Cor. 13:7).

 

In Jesus holy name,

Yvonne Jones

Additional reading to consider by Yvonne

Psalm 25:14 The Secret of the LORD