Month: October 2026

Jeremiah 10:10/NIV

“But the Lord is the true God; he is the living God, the eternal King.
When he is angry, the earth trembles; the nations cannot endure his wrath.”

So I asked the Lord what I should write about this week. Then, before I even finished asking, my eyes fell exactly upon this: “Tell them this: ‘These gods, who did not make the heavens and the earth, will perish from the earth and from under the heavens ’” (Jeremiah 10:11/NIV). I didn’t want to write it because anything mentioning death sounds so negative. But it is a serious reality I am unable to casually dismiss. Death happens.

Verses like these only serve to remind us that God isn’t sharing his spot as God with anyone, folks. He is still a jealous God, which brings to mind Exodus 34:14/NIV: “Do not worship any other god, for the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God.” I, especially recently, have to monitor my own behavior on what or who I may be giving “God” status in my life. There truly is no comparison on earth, or in the universe, for that matter.

What a blessing that God is superbly gracious, merciful, and forgiving, but He can and does get angry. His emotions and feelings are valid, as are His desires and commands. Jeremiah 10:12/NIV reminds us that He “made the earth by his power; he founded the world by his wisdom and stretched out the heavens by his understanding.” He’s not just another influencer or content creator. He’s the First and the Last, the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End.

Regarding those who fashion things as gods, He says, “Everyone is senseless and without knowledge; every goldsmith is shamed by his idols. The images he makes are a fraud; they have no breath in them” (Jeremiah 10:14/NIV). To put faith in statues, amulets, medals, stones, minerals, herbs, symbols, etc., as security or protection, is futile.

It does none of us any good to hold anything else as an idol. Thankfully, our God “is not like these, for he is the Maker of all things” (Jeremiah 10:16/NIV). Our God orders the thunder, lightning, clouds, and rains from the sky, the wonder of creation; His control over history, the person and work of our Savior Jesus Christ; God’s work in our lives, among many other things. He is matchless! He just wants us to remember who He is. He alone deserves our love, respect, and worship!

Matthew 10:27

“What I tell you in the dark, speak in the daylight; what is whispered in your ear, proclaim from the roofs.”

We are all familiar with the temptation to say something upsetting in frustration or anger. Yet I’m trying to consistently remind myself to be cautious of the words I speak. Why? Not only because words have power, but they produce death and life. Not to mention we are accountable for those words we speak. Hence, it’s best to speak as Jesus has spoken. People did not always like what He said, but that was not because He spoke evil or a lie. My solace is that Jesus will tell us what to speak by His Spirit and the Bible if we are open to reading and listening. Proverbs 10:11 reminds us that “The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life, but the mouth of the wicked conceals violence.”

Our human nature desires us to be understood and heard, with a need for expression of our feelings, which isn’t really a bad thing. What’s needed is that we aren’t too quick to speak, but take notice of what we are about to say; whether it is helpful or hurtful to those who may hear it. Not to mention how much we should say. This may be difficult to do and must be learned and exercised.

Often, if we’re especially emotional, we can let those emotions cause our speech to be either damaging or a blessing of encouragement and inspiration. Understanding how and when to impart information helps to keep us in line with using godly wisdom in what we say and how we say it.

If we are rather introverted and quiet, we may not be heard very often speaking words out loud. Or, if we are rather choleric, decisive, and goal-oriented in personality, we might be curt with our words, often not taking into account the consequences of what we say. Many great leaders have choleric personalities, and the good thing is that they get things done and get their points across frankly. Yet, in some instances, they may lack tactfulness in doing so. Assertiveness can often be mistaken for aggressiveness.

We can learn from Jesus that He is gentle and humble in heart, and with Him we find rest for our souls (Matthew 11:29). Hence, His words are full of compassion and security, with warnings and assurances sprinkled throughout. Jesus told us in John 6:63 that the words He spoke were full of the Spirit and life. I’m convinced we need God’s Holy Spirit to help us in this endeavor of using our words in a holy manner. We cannot consistently do it without Him.

However, using wisdom and kindness in our communication does not negate correction or reproof. We are also told to be salt and light (Matthew 5:13-16). Yet understanding the importance of deeds, not just words (James 2:17). Though no human’s love matches that of Jesus, there were times He said some pretty hard things to certain people; things they just weren’t trying to hear! Nevertheless, they were the truth and apparently needed to be heard, as in saying those things, He did not sin.

Below, I’ve listed some verses of Scripture to help us remember the importance of using our words wisely. We can use wisdom in our speech through daily practice, as we are sure to encounter ample opportunities in our interactions with various types of people. In any event, we should be ready for those who take offense even when what we communicate is helpful and necessary. In those cases, we might just have to walk away or add a word of encouragement depending upon the circumstance.

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Proverbs 10:19
Sin is not ended by multiplying words, but the prudent hold their tongues.

Proverbs 15:1
A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.

Proverbs 16:24
Gracious words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones.

Proverbs 17:14
Starting a quarrel is like breaching a dam; so drop the matter before a dispute breaks out.

Proverbs 17:27
The one who has knowledge uses words with restraint, and whoever has understanding is even-tempered.

Proverbs 18:21
The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit.

Proverbs 20:3
It is to one’s honor to avoid strife, but every fool is quick to quarrel.

Matthew 11:29
Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.

Matthew 12:36
But I tell you that everyone will have to give account on the day of judgment for every empty word they have spoken.

Luke 6:45
A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.

Ephesians 4:29
Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.

John 1:1-5

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.  In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.”

Entering this new month of October, my heart beats, “What did Jesus say?” I’m truly grateful for the awesome writings of His disciples, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, as well as all the other great brothers and sisters in the Old and New Testaments of our Bible family. 

In addition, I know that “all Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness…” (2 Timothy 3:16). Nevertheless, I am often reminded that what Jesus actually said, most often shown in the red letters of the Bible, is crucial!

What did the one who was given “all authority in heaven and on earth” (Matthew 28:13) say in the years He spent on earth? We must know since we are now His Body on the earth. We must not allow any disconnection from our Head. Sadly, as the Old Testament prophet Hosea prophesied in Hosea 4:6, “my people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.” The issue was that they rejected knowledge and had forgotten the laws of God.

What values did Jesus possess? What was most often on His mind to share? What kind of works did He do and how do they relate to us? What has He finished for us? What has He commanded His followers to do? 

I’m asking myself all these questions and more, realizing I need to know, retain, and share the answers, not to mention do what He desires of me. We must remember that God has given us the victory in Jesus (1 Corinthians 15:57). We overcome the world by believing that He is God’s Son (1 John 5:4-5). Whatever He said is vital; extremely important, necessary, or essential for success, survival, and understanding.