Isaiah 50:4 The Lord God hath given me the tongue of the learned, that I should know how to speak a word in season to him that is weary: he wakeneth morning by morning, he wakeneth mine ear to hear as the learned.

To speak a word in season is about the listener, not we who speak. So often we choose when to speak and often we are received with an argument. Those who are weary do not have the strength to fire back.

I too have felt strong in the Lord and ready to speak truth. The tongue of the learned is let loose when it has been trained to listen. If we will but listen we might hear who is weary, who is ready to hear the truth.

What they need to hear has to be based on what the Lord knows to say, and not from our own well-rehearsed library of comfortable quotes. We will not know the right words to use unless we listen both to the weary and to the Lord.

Listening might not be listed as one of the spiritual gifts, but maybe it should. Perhaps it is found in the gift of prophecy since that gift is to know the mind of the Lord.

1 Corinthians 14:5 I would that ye all spake with tongues but rather that ye prophesied: for greater is he that prophesieth than he that speaketh with tongues, except he interpret, that the church may receive edifying.

The two most abused of spiritual gifts are these two, tongues and prophecy. It is because they are loosed with the tongue. The book of James gives great warning, and rightly so, about the unbridled tongue. Yet the bridled tongue can speak and should because it is under the control of the spirit.

Psalm 39:1&7 I said, I will take heed to my ways, that I sin not with my tongue: I will keep my mouth with a bridle, while the wicked is before me. And now, Lord, what wait I for? my hope is in thee.

The Lord’s hand is upon the bridle.

Psalm 19:14 Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my strength, and my redeemer.

Do you say “I love you!” aloud to the Lord? That’s a private confession. I do, but not for the Lord to hear, but for me to say. The Lord knows my heart better than I do. So why say it?

It is a part of the human condition that we tend to try and keep our word. We do not always succeed but we try. I do not consider myself to be a liar. When I give my word I keep it, as much as it is within my power to keep.

When I say “I love you Lord!” it does something in me. It opens a path of willingness to read His Word, to keep His Word in my heart, and to live His Word. While I recognize I am not perfect, I also recognize what helps me to do right. Willingness of heart is a good starting point with me. I haven’t always been willing, so to foster an attitude of willingness is big with me.

It seems easy to look back on when things went wrong and pick out that point where I made a bad choice which led to the mistake, which led to the pain. Looking for ways to help ourselves to make right choices is not all that easy.

Job 31:1 I made a covenant with mine eyes; why then should I think upon a maid?

Job helped himself by making covenant with himself. He found a way to help himself.

Ecclesiastes 4:10 For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow: but woe to him that is alone when he falleth; for he hath not another to help him up.

I tie my own shoelaces to avoid tripping myself.