VERY CUTE CAT, but that TONGUE! And what is the cat trying to communicate, rebellion, disgust, comedy or maybe something else altogether? Normally, when I think of the tongue, this passage from the book of James comes to mind, but then I asked myself the question: Can anything positive be said about the tongue?
James 3 ( World English Bible )
2 For in many things we all stumble. If anyone doesn’t stumble in word, the same is a perfect man, able to bridle the whole body also.
3 Indeed, we put bits into the horses’ mouths so that they may obey us, and we guide their whole body.
4 Behold, the ships also, though they are so big and are driven by fierce winds, are yet guided by a very small rudder, wherever the pilot desires.
5 So the tongue is also a little member, and boasts great things. See how a small fire can spread to a large forest!
6 And the tongue is a fire. The world of iniquity among our members is the tongue, which defiles the whole body, and sets on fire the course of nature, and is set on fire by Gehenna.
7 For every kind of animal, bird, creeping thing, and thing in the sea, is tamed, and has been tamed by mankind.
8 But nobody can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.
9 With it we bless our God and Father, and with it we curse men, who are made in the image of God.
10 Out of the same mouth comes forth blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so.
11 Does a spring send out from the same opening fresh and bitter water?
12 Can a fig tree, my brothers, yield olives, or a vine figs? Thus no spring yields both salt water and fresh water.
13 Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show by his good conduct that his deeds are done in gentleness of wisdom.
To answer my question, I did a quick concordance search and found the following...
2 Samuel 23 ( WEB )
1 Now these are the last words of David. David the son of Jesse says, the man who was raised on high says, the anointed of the God of Jacob, the sweet psalmist of Israel:
2 “The Spirit of Yahweh spoke by me. His word was on my tongue.
1 For the Chief Musician. Set to “The Lilies.” A contemplation by the sons of Korah. A wedding song. My heart overflows with a noble theme. I recite my verses for the king. My tongue is like the pen of a skillful writer.
14 Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, the God of my salvation. My tongue shall sing aloud of your righteousness.
Psalm 71 ( WEB )
22 I will also praise you with the harp for your faithfulness, my God. I sing praises to you with the lyre, Holy One of Israel.
23 My lips shall shout for joy! My soul, which you have redeemed, sings praises to you!
24 My tongue will also talk about your righteousness all day long, for they are disappointed, and they are confounded, who want to harm me.
Psalm 126 ( WEB )
1 A Song of Ascents. When Yahweh brought back those who returned to Zion, we were like those who dream.
2 Then our mouth was filled with laughter, and our tongue with singing. Then they said among the nations, “Yahweh has done great things for them.”
3 Yahweh has done great things for us, and we are glad.
Pro. 12 ( WEB )
18 There is one who speaks rashly like the piercing of a sword, but the tongue of the wise heals.
Prov. 15 ( WEB )
2 The tongue of the wise commends knowledge, but the mouth of fools gush out folly.
4 A gentle tongue is a tree of life, but deceit in it crushes the spirit.
Proverbs 18 ( WEB )
21 Death and life are in the power of the tongue; those who love it will eat its fruit.
Acts 2 ( WEB )
22 “Men of Israel, hear these words! Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved by God to you by mighty works and wonders and signs which God did by him in the midst of you, even as you yourselves know,
23 him, being delivered up by the determined counsel and foreknowledge of God, you have taken by the hand of lawless men, crucified and killed;
24 whom God raised up, having freed him from the agony of death, because it was not possible that he should be held by it.
25 For David says concerning him, ‘I saw the Lord always before my face, For he is on my right hand, that I should not be moved.
26 Therefore my heart was glad, and my tongue rejoiced. Moreover my flesh also will dwell in hope;
27 because you will not leave my soul in Hades, neither will you allow your Holy One to see decay.
Romans 14 ( WEB )
7 For none of us lives to himself, and none dies to himself.
8 For if we live, we live to the Lord. Or if we die, we die to the Lord. If therefore we live or die, we are the Lord’s.
9 For to this end Christ died, rose, and lived again, that he might be Lord of both the dead and the living.
10 But you, why do you judge your brother? Or you again, why do you despise your brother? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of Christ.
11 For it is written, “‘As I live,’ says the Lord, ‘to me every knee will bow. Every tongue will confess to God.’”
Philippians 2 ( WEB )
5 Have this in your mind, which was also in Christ Jesus,
6 who, existing in the form of God, didn’t consider equality with God a thing to be grasped,
7 but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being made in the likeness of men.
8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself, becoming obedient to death, yes, the death of the cross.
9 Therefore God also highly exalted him, and gave to him the name which is above every name;
10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, those on earth, and those under the earth,
11 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
12 So then, my beloved, even as you have always obeyed, not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.
1 John 3 ( WEB )
18 My little children, let’s not love in word only, neither with the tongue only, but in deed and truth.
The tongue should love and... 1 John 3:18
The tongue can be used to confess God Romans 14:11 ...
The tongue can be used skillfully… Psalm 45:1
The tongue can be used to sing of God’s righteousness… Psalm 51:14
The tongue can sing praises to God… Psalm 126:2
The tongue can talk about God’s righteousness... Psalm 71:24
The Tongue can bring rejoicing Acts 2:26
The tongue can heal... Proverbs 12:18
The tongue can commend knowledge ... Proverbs 15
The tongue can be a tree of life… Proverbs 15
The tongue can result in either life or death… Proverbs 18
The tongue can have the words of God on it… 2 Samuel 23:2
Consider this: Its your tongue and your choice, so choose wisely, for remember the words of Proverbs 18:12?
“Death and life are in the power of the tongue; those who love it will eat its fruit.”