At times we feel annoyed, and then there are times my husband and I are totally maddened! Living in the country especially during the summer months, the gnats torment us with every outside endeavor. We feel as though a remnant of the plagues of Egypt is visiting us. 😉
Nevertheless, we have found an even bigger problem to annihilate – carpenter bees! My brother’s servant-heart sent him to North Carolina from Louisiana with his whole family to build a fence around our backyard. They worked hard, along with my husband and a son-in-law, shoveling cement into post holes in the ground with unanticipated frigid temperatures. I will always be thankful for the sacrifice they made for us. But now, an outside predator is trying to destroy the structure that was built for boundaries and privacy as well as our enjoyment. Not to mention allowing our grandkids the freedom to run and play without worry they will get in the street.
When I saw the destruction the carpenter bees had distributed on our fence, I immediately thought of our home and the danger that was present! Not from the bees but from the world, the flesh, and the devil. Our earthly homes are vulnerable to attacks from within as well as without. We need to be on high alert, keeping watch for predators. A predator is anything that could destroy the foundation of our homes. Did you know what God intended for good, man can distort and use for evil? Gifted from a loving God, words were designed to bring health, encouragement, and promote a great sense of peace to the recipients. Unfortunately, our words can become predatorial and the home not peaceful or even safe. Because let’s face it, words can hurt! We need to examine the way we speak to one another especially in the home. The Bible says, “…a deceitful tongue crushes the spirit.” That’s pretty destructive. The words we use can eat away at the foundation of our homes just like the carpenter bees eating away the fence post. We need to watch over the words of our mouths, keeping our words helpful and not hurtful while protecting the foundation of our unity.
“Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, that it may give grace to those who hear. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving each other just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.”
Ephesians 4:29-32
1 Peter 5:8; Proverbs 15:4; 16:24; 18:21; James 3:6; Ephesians 6:11-12
As my husband and I continue a June “Fast” leading up to our 41st Anniversary, my prayer would be for tender words of encouragement to vibrate through the halls of our home strengthening our union with a protective covering to the praise of His glory!
It has been said,
“Words are free. It’s how you use them, that may cost.”
Use your words wisely, today!
The Scarlett Road 
Scarlett Road, you have a gift for taking life events and applying spiritual points. Thanks!
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