Unclean Lips

author: Luann Prater, Proverbs 31 Speaker Team Member
source: CrossWalk


Key Verse:

Isaiah 6:5, "For I am a man (woman) of unclean lips, and I live among
a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord
Almighty." (NIV)



Devotion:

An entire case of hot sauce had been sitting in my closet since I
returned from the trade show. Working in marketing as I do, means
coming up with clever
themes and tie-ins for clients. This time I'd been showcasing "The
Hottest Hoist in the Industry"….I never said my job was glamorous. One
of our giveaways
was bottles of hot sauce with the label echoing the theme. Now 12
left-over bottles were waiting for me to get creative and find recipes
that would sizzle.



Is it just me or have you ever had one of those days that just
blind-sides you? We had just come from an amazing service at church.
Our prayer circle had
been so in tune with God it was if we touched the hem of Jesus'
garment. To top it off, the ride home was dotted with white clouds on
a brilliant blue sky.



Somewhere along the way we allowed Satan to hitch a ride with us. Our
conversation began to turn negative and before we knew it we were
spiraling out
of control. We both said things to each other that came from that ugly
unclean place that lurks in the shadows of our sin-nature. . We have
a name for this
behavior: "going in the ditch." That is when one of us starts veering
the conversation toward the edge and the other just plows on into the
ditch.



Our minds, hearts, and tongues were just not nice to one another. We
weren't alone. Isaiah, a giant in the Lord's army, also struggled with
this malady.

When God wanted to use him in a big way, Isaiah realized he was
absolutely not worthy because of his unclean lips. So the Lord sent
seraphs to touch his
mouth with a live coal from the altar and said, "See, this has touched
your lips; your guilt is atoned for." Ouch! Radical stuff!
Sometimes that is just what
we need to realize our guilt and then understand that Jesus paid the
price for our sin.



I pulled the hot sauce out of the closet and thought, "Ok, I've found
a use for you!" Every time my mouth or tongue gets the best of me I
put a drop on the
end of my tongue as a symbol of the live coal from the altar. Ouch!
Radical! It is a red hot reminder to get control of my unclean lips
and remember the
sacrifice that was made for me.



My Prayer for Today:

Jesus, take control of my unclean mouth today. Let the words of my
mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing and acceptable in
Your sight. In

Jesus' Name, Amen.



Application Steps:

Consider re-labeling a bottle of hot sauce to say: A Live Coal from
the Altar. Then, every time your mouth goes "into the ditch," touch
the tip of your tongue
with a drop from the bottle.



Forgive immediately instead of taking the conversation into the ditch.



Reflection Points:

Why do I feel the need to get my point across?

How can I get control of my tongue?

When will I stop allowing Satan to use my lips to injure others?



Power Verses:

2 Corinthians 10:5, "…we take captive every thought to make it
obedient to Christ." (NIV)



Psalm 19:14, "May the word of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
be pleasing in your sight, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer." (NIV)



1Timothy 4:12, ". . . set an example for the believers in speech, in
life, in love, in faith and purity." (NIV)