I’m sure we had all had a time or times what we have had something “stuck in our throat” I know I have, several times in fact. It’s a horrible feeling and in a worst-case scenario we can even choke to death.

I guess none of us ever want to do that.

Our daughter when a child had one such moment in our kitchen and a spontaneous but firm slap on the back by her mum caused the boiled sweet to launch out of her mouth and hit the other end of the room. She still doesn’t like boiled sweets!!

There is another in which we have things stick in our throats.

Words – words stick in the throat when emotion is involved. Maybe we are mad at someone and we know they were in the wrong, and as believers in JESUS we know we have to take the humble position and apologise for our part, our words stick in our throat. It is emotional.

But the joy when we manage to ‘spit it out’ (metaphorically), and we know it’s out of our hands and they have to make the next move. It is emotional.

Other times, maybe at moments of great sadness or grief, our words “stick in our throats”. It’s emotional.

Not too often I hope, but it’s a bit like when we propose to our loved one, we know what we want to say but we can’t – it’s stuck in our throat. I’ve known this just once, we were on the Bristol Suspension Bridge (my plan) on a September evening, it was dusk and the city lights glittered, the stars twinkled and so did my eyes, but the words were stuck my throat and I missed the moment. It’s emotional.

We stopped on the way home and in the most unattractive lay-by I asked question “Will you marry me?” It was a bit of a shock for my dear Elaine, we had only been ‘going out together’ for four weeks and she was just 17. I think her response was “Oh, I’ll have to think about it”. I took that as a yes. I turned the car key and it wouldn’t start - we had to push it - how to kill a moment.  It did become a yes and that is 52 years ago next month.

Just as an aside, notice that we had been ‘going out together’ NOT going to bed together’ as some see as appropriate these days. We waited …and were married 21 months later.

As usual, I’ve gone a long way around to make some Godly points.

Proverbs 18:21 reads:

Death and life are in the power of the tongue,
And those who love it will eat its fruit. (NKJV)

The tongue can bring death or life;
those who love to talk will reap the consequences. (NLT)

The tongue can bring death or life;
those who love to talk will reap the consequences. (TPT)

Let me challenge us all today

Are we ever wrong?
Do we ever admit it?
Have we asked others to forgive us?
Does it get stuck in our throats?

Do we ever apologise for our part?
Does it get stuck in our throats?

Have we ever said sorry to GOD?
Does it get stuck in our throats?

Have we ever asked him to forgive us?
Does it get stuck in our throats?

Do we tell of GOD’s love to friends and family?
Does it get stuck in our throats?

Do we tell them about JESUS?
Does it get stuck in our throats?

Do we know JESUS?
Do we Whisper JESUS?
Does it get stuck in our throats?

Have a good, Godly cough and clear your throat today

Proverbs 18.21:

Words kill, words give life; they’re either poison or fruit — you choose. (Message)