Let Me See Your Tongue
As water reflects a face, so a man’s heart reflects the man.
Proverbs 27:19
My mother grew up on a 160 acre cotton farm in the sandy hills of southwest Oklahoma. The nearest town, of any size, was 15 miles away. Such isolation made self-reliance a given.
Because the farm was a ‘far piece’ from anywhere, as my grandfather liked to say, grandmother often served as a country doctor. Cuts were wrapped in a clean rag soaked in turpentine, and the cure for almost any internal ailment was a substantial dose of castor oil.
Grandmother also had a curious way of determining a diagnosis prior to treatment. If you told her you weren’t feeling well (I did this only once) she would say, “Let me see your tongue.” This was the only time I was allowed to stick my tongue out at my maternal forebearer.
You see, Grandmother believed the color of one’s tongue revealed their general state of health. I tried to tell her about the green Jolly Rancher I’d been sucking on, but she STILL brought out the castor oil.
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Jesus knows a thing or two about tongues as well.
But the things that come out of the mouth come from the heart, and these make a man unclean. (Matthew 15:18 NIV) For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks. (Luke 6:45 NIV)
The REAL me is reflected in my words.
Here’s how I picture it:
The tongue is like a thermometer, while the heart is like a thermostat–the former is effected by the latter.
This connection between words, actions and heart is as real as death and taxes.
I love how the psychedelic NYC street performer, Matthew Silver, talks about human beings. He’s quite the philosopher.
You’re already doing, you’re always doing what’s in your heart; you can’t get away from your heart.
Matthew Silver
Above all else guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.
Proverbs 4:23
David Duncan is an elementary music teacher in Oklahoma. He has a bachelor’s degree in music from Cameron University, and a master’s degree in religious education from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. He is currently pursuing a second master’s in educational leadership.
David is an ordained Southern Baptist minister. He was a full-time minister for 14 years before becoming a teacher in 2004.
He enjoys writing music. In addition to his 39 self-published songs, he also has written 215 blog posts found at the link below. You can find his music videos found at the link below.
Blog: https://davidsdailydose.org/
Music Videos: https://youtube.com/channel/UC3HDgrpsLaCYywrOvknFygA
What a lovely reminiscent devotional full of truth, thank you for sharing it David.