Thursday, September 25, 2025

TAMING THE TONGUE

Today’s Reading: Psalms 38-39

Click scripture link to read online or HERE to listen online (then click the symbol of the audio speaker above the scripture portion).

 

Here is an “arrow loop” in the wall of Jerusalem’s Zion Gate. These were slots in the walls through which defenders would shoot arrows in ancient times. We may not shoot literal arrows, but Jeremiah 9:8a says, “Their tongue is as an arrow shot out.” Zion Gate is located in the southern part of the Old City. This gate was used by the Israel Defense Forces in 1967 to enter and capture the Old City. The stones surrounding the gate are still pockmarked by weapons fire. This entrance leads to the Jewish and Armenian quarters (wider photo below)..

GOOGLE MAPS – To see where the photo was taken, click HERE.

 

Key Verse: Psalm 39:1

I said, “I will guard my ways,

Lest I sin with my tongue;

I will restrain my mouth with a muzzle,

While the wicked are before me.”

 

There’s a very big word here which has only one letter, the letter “i”. In these two Psalms, “i”, or actually the capital “I”, appears 19 times. Could it be that we focus on ourselves too much and not enough on God? Our tongues provide the most obvious indication of what’s going on inside the “I”. David, Solomon, Paul and James all wrote about the problem we have with our tongues. James even wrote that our tongues can start a forest fire (read James 3:1-10). Dangerous or what? David writes that he can stop sinning with his tongue by guarding his ways and restraining his mouth with a muzzle. We muzzle dangerous dogs, but is this the best way to keep us, as humans made in God’s image, from backbiting and attacking one another? Self (the big “I”) control is a fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:23). The Spirit produces this fruit of self-control in our lives, not the big “I”. The Apostle Paul follows his description of the fruit of the Spirit with these words, “Those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh (the “I”) with its passions and desires” (Galatians 5:24). Therefore, controlling our tongues is possible by yielding daily to the Spirit of God. It will take time for good fruit to grow and ripen, so that if someone takes a bite out of us, they will taste the goodness of Jesus, who dwells in every believer.

PRAYER FOR TODAY:

Lord God, Your servant David, twice in today’s reading, compares our lives to “vapor.” Like the morning mist, my life seems to evaporate. I ask, “Where has time gone?” Therefore, Lord, I pray all the more fervently that You will make every moment and every word I speak or write count for good. Fill me up to overflowing, I pray, so that from the overflow of Your Spirit I will bless others with the words my tongue speaks. Amen!!!

100 PERSONAL WORDS:

For some reason the sitcom which featured Archie and Edith Bunker comes to mind. I remember that when Edith would be making her point rather emotionally, Archie would say, “Stifle yourself!” I’m laughing as I imagine the scene, but in reality it was no laughing matter to be a part of such a dysfunctional family. Perhaps the essence of comedy is the difference between what I am as a person and what I know I should be. It’s much easier and more fun to laugh than to cry. Archie’s instructions to his wife, “Stifle yourself,” never worked. Edith’s tongue kept right on upsetting Archie in every episode.

By God’s Spirit, Who, according to the Scriptures, lives in me, I can have a tongue which follows the instruction given by Solomon, “A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver” (Proverbs 25:11).

Yours for words “fitly spoken” to people around us and in prayer to God!

David

A wider view of the Zion Gate described in the photo above.

A Message from Ron Mainse…

It was on this day in 2017 that my father, David Mainse, went home to be with the Lord. He desired that this “100 Words” two-year journey through the Bible be continued after his passing. I am privileged to help out in fulfilling his wishes by reposting his daily blogs!

If you’d like to learn more about David Mainse, his memorial website can be found HERE. Also, below is our family’s original announcement of his passing…

Rev. David Mainse
1936-2017

Mainse Family Announcement of the Passing of David Mainse:

It is with great sadness yet divine peace that Norma-Jean and the entire Mainse family share the news of the passing of their beloved David. He went into the presence of his precious Saviour on the morning of September 25th, 2017, surrounded by his family, ending a 5-year battle with MDS leukemia. The Lord graciously extended his life 3 years beyond what the doctors initially predicted, allowing his family and friends to enjoy for a little longer his deep wisdom, caring heart and passionate encouragement.

David was a beloved husband to Norma-Jean for 59 years (as of September 19th) and also leaves behind four children, daughter Elaine and her husband Bruce Stacey, daughter Ellen and her husband Nizar Shaheen, son Reynold and his wife Kathy, and son Ron and his wife Ann, as well as 16 grandchildren with many spouses, and 13 great-grandchildren…all of whom have been amazingly blessed and forever influenced by his genuine love and Godly example.

David’s passion for Jesus spilled out into every area of his life and fueled him as an enthusiastic evangelist, visionary leader, and beloved mentor to so many. Having been in TV ministry since 1962, David was greatly loved by countless people with whom he connected daily, sharing the love of Jesus and wearing his heart on his sleeve. He was a man of impeccable integrity whose public and personal life were in clear alignment, enabling him to powerfully impact the masses and the individual…especially his family. Through his words and actions, David lived out his oft-quoted words, “One soul is worth more than the whole world.” His life-long desire was to see precious lives transformed for all eternity through a personal relationship with Jesus Christ…a desire he satisfied with great success.

Although he will be greatly missed, David’s influence will live on through his family, the ministry he founded (Crossroads), and the many lives he touched and inspired in his beloved Canada and around the world during his 60+ years of ministry.

12 thoughts on “Thursday, September 25, 2025

  1. Ron and Ann,

    Thank you for continuing to post this blog- it is a constant and has helped me in my walk through the years. I joined the blog shortly after David started posting. A gift from God. Prayers to you and your family. May the Lord comfort and keep you this day as you honour the memory and work of your dad for our Aba.
    Anna

  2. Ron and family,
    Thank you for continuing to post David’s blog. It has been a constant for me for several years and I never tire of it. There is so much wisdom in his words, and it is such a help to read through the entire Bible over a two year pefiod. May you, Norma Jean, and the whole family enjoy many happy memories today.

  3. We are thankful for David’s legacy that lives on, including this blog.
    Thank you Ron and all responsible for continuing to provide us with this daily “manna”
    It had and continues to touch many souls, as David desired.

    Blessings to all.

  4. Remember I qas in Kona Hawaii at the beginning of a Discipleship Traing School. Was still following this amazing ministry. And still am know.
    Blessings Dale

  5. “Time is the most valuable thing a man can spend.” —Theophrastus (372–287 BC)

    Thanks so much to David, his family and associates, for keeping this teaching going.

    God’s blessings on all believers 🙏.

  6. Thank you Maine’s family for continuing this blog.
    I have been following it since the beginning and so appreciate all you do.
    Blessings on this day as we all remember how much your father gave to the ministry .

  7. Thank you very much for continuing this blog. I have been following it since Reverend David Mainse first started posting it. For a number of years I wanted to read my Bible from cover to cover and understand it better. When Reverend Mainse announced he’d be posting a blog featuring his two year journey through the Bible, I knew the time fulfill my desire for all of the above. Again, thank you Mainse family for posting this blog year after year. It means so much to us.

  8. I would like to thank the Mainse family for keeping this bible study going. It has been a great help to me since it started
    & I’ve learned so much about the bible.

    May God bless you all in Jesus’ Name, Amen.

  9. Thank you so very much,Ron,for honouring your father’s wishes by continuing this blog and thank you to the whole Mainse family for your involvement in ministry.Norma Jean you are a rock for your family.God bless

  10. Thank you for the Blogg it is two years I have started.
    I come to know the Lord through your Dad preaching.
    God Bless You All and the blogg followers.

  11. Yes, yes, yes- Ive so benefitted from this blog Ive followed and studied since its inception June 2012, five months after my husbands passing! It’s helped me thru many a turbulent time not the least being my daughter’s death just this past June. Ive also invited many to join along and indeed use this format to lead a small Bible discussion. “Bless the LORD, o my soul, and all that is within me bless His Holy Name”. Psalm 103

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.