The Same Mouth

Miriam was a prophet, a leader, and a singer. In Exodus 15, she led the
women in a dance to the Lord on the day He saved them from slavery in Egypt
by parting the Red Sea and defeating the army that pursued them. In this
instance, she used her mouth for good, to sing praises to God. However, in
another incident (Numbers 12), Miriam used her mouth wrongly. She and Aaron
spoke against their brother, Moses, because of the Cushite woman he had
married. The same mouth that had sung praise to God was now backbiting and
judging Moses, the servant of God. The Bible says, “the Lord heard this”
(verse 2), and He summoned Moses, Aaron, and Miriam to the tent of meeting,
where He came down in a pillar of cloud and spoke to Miriam and Aaron. The
Lord corrected them and spoke what was true about Moses. Then they repented
of their sin, and God was merciful to them. We sometimes find ourselves
doing what Miriam did. In one situation, we use our mouth for good, and in
another, we use it for evil. We use the same mouth to praise God and to
slander, criticize, and belittle others. James 3:10 says, “Out of the same
mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not
be.” James 4:6-12 urges us to turn away from sin, including slandering and
condemning others, and instead submit to God humbly. This command comes
with a promise: “Come near to God and he will come near to you” (verse 8).
We are able to come to God because Jesus took all our sin upon Himself when
He went to the cross. Jesus—who always used His mouth for good and not for
evil—let people insult Him and slander Him and judge Him unjustly. Jesus is
fully God, yet He showed the utmost humility (Philippians 2:5-11). He laid
down His life. And then He rose from the dead—so everyone who puts their
trust in Him can be forgiven of all their sins. As Christians, we are
called to follow Jesus as our example. With the Holy Spirit’s power, let us
endeavor to use our mouths as Jesus did, for good and not for evil. • Enid
Adah Nyinomujuni • Have you ever been hurt by someone’s words? Have you
ever hurt someone else? How can Jesus bring healing and restoration to
these wounds? Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers
and sisters, this should not be. James 3:10 (NIV)

Read Verses:

Exod.15.20-Exod.15.21|Num.12|Jas.3.10