Collateral Damage

By Suzie Eller

"He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds." Psalm 147:3 (ESV)

My house has a crack. Just over the doorframe, creeping to the ceiling. It catches my eye every time I sit on my couch in my living rom. My house isn't that old, so when I asked how this happened, the answer was, "collateral damage."

Collateral damage is defined as damage to things that are incidental to the intended target. Who knew that the sunny rays outside could fracture the wall of my nicely air conditioned home? But it happened.

Last year we had one of the hottest summers on record and the parched ground around the foundation strained the frame, which put pressure on the walls, and eventually a crack appeared.

From Messes to Miracles

"A fool's mouth is his destruction, and his lips are the snare of his soul." (Proverbs 18:7)
We have what we say. As believers, we know that's a vital biblical truth. We can see it in Mark 11:23, Matthew 21:21, James 3:2, and many other verses. Yet we often let it slip.

We allow ourselves to begin talking like the world instead of talking the Word. And eventually we get what we've been asking for--a big mess.

If that's happened to you, remember, whatever you have in your life is a product of what you've been saying.