A Thought for the Day – 021
The mouth of mankind is like a shovel, we use it to
dig ditches in another person’s soul, we also use it to cover over that hole of
heartache and call it counsel. We use the tongue wrongly, we use the tongue
rightly; we use our mouth to communicate to God and we use the mouth to
blaspheme Him too. Proverbs 15:1-33 and James 3:1-18.
Comments and challenges
During
my career in the Navy and before I went to submarines I was a “Master-at-Arms”
aboard one of the destroyers. The master-at-arms is like a cop who maintains a
sense of security among the men who on occasion rub someone else the wrong way,
causing a fight. Yet this is not the only responsibility, there are a few more
and this little story is about one of the few more.
One
sailor had stolen a pair of pants from another and when he was identified the
man began to run. We were at sea, so he could not run far but he was effective
in evading his chasers. There are usually (in those days) three to five men who
are assigned master-at-arm duties (volunteers). Yet I understand that this is a
billet or professional rating in today’s Navy.
All
five of us assigned to this duty were on the lookout for the man who stole the
pants and so were much of the crew. He was nowhere to be found! Around midnight
the Chief Master-at-Arms woke me and asked if I would go with him to the
fantail of the ship (rear part of the main deck) where the man who we were
looking for was taking his clothes off piece by piece and throwing the clothing
overboard.
When
we got there, the man was down to one sock and his shorts. “What are you doing”,
my chief asked the man? “Leave me alone” said the man and off came his last
sock. We moved closer, there was a wet mist in the air and I thought to myself,
grabbing this guy is going to be hard, he will be slippery. My chief said quietly,
“if I miss you do the same”.
The
chef tossed his nightstick forcefully at the man and hit him in the small of
the back causing the man to bend backwards, off balance we grabbed him and
pulled him away from the railing. It turns out that both men were involved in a
“lovers spat” both were court martialed and given “UNDESIRABLE” discharges.
As I
look back at that moment in time, I am reminded of our nation’s current moment
in time. This is a day when men and women suppress the truth of the Living God
and burn in their lust doing what is shameful. I also know that the wrath of
God is AVAILABLE to all who practice such. Romans 1:18-32 is God’s NIGHTSTICK
and like the man on the ship, if you are participating in this bondage you will
not see His crippling judgment coming.
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