Thought for April 30, 2024

  •  311: Edict of Toleration ends persecution of Christians in the Roman Empire
  • 1492: Spain announces it will expel all Jews
  • 1789: George Washington inaugurated
  • 1803: Louisiana Purchase Treaty signed in Paris
  • 1859: "A Tale of Two Cities" published
  • 1897: Discovery of the electron announced
  • 1900: Casey Jones dies in the crash of the Cannonball Express
  • 1916: Germany is first country to have daylight savings time
  • 1939: Lou Gehrig plays his 2130th and last game
  • 1966: Church of Satan founded in San Francisco--started much earlier
  • 1975: Fall of Saigon
  • 1989: World Wide Web launched in the public domain [source code published on this day in 1993]
  • 2004: Photos of prisoner abuse at Abu Ghraib prison released
  • 2009: Chrysler files for bankruptcy
  • 2020: President Trump says Covid virus originated in a lab in Wuhan
  • Born: Carl Gauss [mathematician], Alice B Toklas, Eve Arden, Robert Shaw, Johnny Horton ["Battle of New Orleans"], Cloris Leachman, Don Schollander, Isaiah Thomas, Michael Waltrip, Kristen Dunst, Gal Gadot, 
  • Died: James Montgomery ["Angels from the Rhealms of Glory"], Eduard Manet, Inger Stevens, Agnes Moorehead, Muddy Waters, Sergio Leone, Guy Williams [Zorro], Tom Poston, 
  • Hannibal Goodwin was born on this day in 1822. An Episcopal minister, he invented celluloid film to provide a better means to teach children's Bible stories. A member of his congregation, George Eastman, copied his invention, founded Eastman Kodak, and opposed Goodwin's patent claims for 11 years while making millions of dollars. Goodwin eventually won and was awarded $5 million in damages, but died before receiving the payment. 
Thought:
My mind was caught by Proverbs 10:19--" When there are many words, transgression is unavoidable, but he who restrains his lips is wise." There are many passages about my need to be quick to listen and slow to speak. Passages about the tongue as a fire or rudder. Admonitions to control the tongue. But this verse really hit me this morning.

My thoughts immediately went to a courtroom scene. Counsel has prepared a great argument, but lengthy. Counsel rises and after only a few words, the judge is ready to accept the argument and rule for the lawyer, but the lawyer keeps talking till finally the judge says, counsellor, stop talking before a rule against you. 

We have all been there. We begin talking and we are okay at first, but the more we talk the deeper the hole we dig, the more opportunities arise to say the wrong thing. An argument ensues. Jesus said, "let your yes be yes and your no be no." Or for some of us we say, get to the point or keep it simple stupid. I see in my mind the scene from "A River Runs Through It" where the father is editing a paper. The son brings it in and the father says, "once more but shorter." The worth is not in the number of words, but in the truth of the words. 

This proverb is a reminder to me this morning that presenting th gospel is a simple story. That the more I embellish, the more it is about me than about Him. The proverb reminds me that often my extra words are spoken to prove how smart I think I am and not to present truth. The proverb teaches me that often my extra words are really condescending words that do not bring understanding and wisdom. The end of the proverb reminds me that restraining my lips is wisdom.

Lord, don't let me forget this truth today.

Blessings
Larry

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