18,927 two-liter drink bottles…that’s how much saliva
one person produces in a lifetime. That’s 37,854 liters of spit. You need that
saliva to swallow but you also need it in order for your 9,000 taste buds to
work. Crazy stuff like this amazes me. It’s not just the numbers; it’s that there is a God, so infinitely wise and indescribably creative!
You have to admit, the tongue is one of our most unusual
muscles. It’s the only muscle in the body attached at one end only. Although
our sense of taste is the weakest of our five senses, that wagging muscle has a
lot of power.
Three hundred and ninety-five verses, specifically about
the mouth, are in the Bible. There's one hundred and fifty more just about the tongue. This
doesn’t include verses about speaking, praying, lying or cursing. Think how
many things you do with your mouth. God knew we would need a lot of guidance
with this body part.
The tongue is the strongest muscle in your body,
relative to size. Just to speak you have to flex 72 muscles. What kind of
workout are you giving your mouth? Are you building up or tearing down?
“Does not wisdom call out? Does not understanding raise
her voice?
Listen, for I have worthy things to say; I open my lips
to speak what is right. My mouth speaks what is true, for my lips detest
wickedness.
All the words of my mouth are just; none of them is
crooked or perverse.
To the discerning,
all of them are right;
they are faultless to those who have knowledge.”
Proverbs 8:1, 6-9 (NIV)
When God created you, he had a unique purpose in mind. Just as you have an inimitable fingerprint; God also gave you an exclusive tongue print. Think about that. Why would God do that?
Of
course, you are one of a kind from head to toe, but focus for a minute on why
God gave you the mouth he did. Perhaps he wants you to be different. Perhaps he
wants you to speak, sing, pray, teach, encourage, all those things in a way
that only you can.
Speak
boldly for Christ when no one else will. Sing praises when everyone expects the
opposite. Teach the Truth in places people say you cannot. Encourage others
when everyone else has given up.
What
is God’s special calling for your mouth?
It's not just for spit.
