Proverbs 10:1-32
Saturday, 03 August 2024
The words of the godly encourage many, but fools are destroyed by their lack of common sense. - Proverbs 10:21 NLT
Wisdom has much to do with good ad right speech! Did you notice the many verses in our text today about words/speech? Our words can often make us or break us! Speech is a gift given to man if used rightly can bring rich dividends. But the adverse effect of it cannot be undermined.
Look at a few things talked about speech in our text today:
· The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life, but the mouth of the wicked conceals violence (V.11)
· The wise store up knowledge, but the mouth of a fool invites ruin (V.14)
If the wise store up knowledge about how to speak, when to speak and what to speak, his/her speech will can be a fountain of life. One of the measures of Christian maturity is how much we have learnt to bring the tongue under control (James 1:26). To bridle the tongue is a difficult process but it has to be learnt, as we grow in our walk with the LORD. Not that anyone has achieved perfection in this area but there should always be a willingness to learn and to improve with the help of the Holy Spirit who is our Helper.
· The words of the godly encourage many, but fools are destroyed by their lack of common sense. (V.21 NLT)
· From the mouth of the righteous comes the fruit of wisdom, but a perverse tongue will be silenced (V.31)
Our tongues can be made to become instruments of comfort and healing: “a word in season- how good it is!” (Prov.15:23). If we pray and seek God with the right attitude, God can make wholesome talk come forth from us to build others according to their needs that it will profit those who listen to us (Eph.4:29). Then truly the tongue can become a tree of life producing the right fruit! But a perverse tongue, by speaking wrong, hurtful words and even lies to malign-can destroy lives!
People who apply no sense to their thinking and speaking will come to ruin. While the wise are glad to be instructed, the chattering fools who pay no attention to their speaking will meet their ruin! People who go on gossiping without filtering facts and “fabrications” will have to bear the sorry consequences of their ill speech. Here is something to heed: In the multitude of words sin is not lacking, But he who restrains his lips is wise. (V.19 NKJV)
Wholesome speech is to be the aim of every Christian. Jesus said, “For out of the abundance of the heart, his mouth speaks” (Luke 6:45). Hence if we try to put the right things into our hearts, then out of that good treasure, it will bring forth good. When in Porv.4:23, it says to guard our heart which is the well-spring of life, it means we need to be on guard as to what we allow to enter in our heart- if it is good it will bring out good; if evil, it will bring forth evil. Plant the seed of God’s Word into our hearts by meditating on it and it will produce a rich harvest of right words. “A wise man’s heart guides his mouth and his lips promote instruction” (Prov.16:23).
Speech is a vital part of communication between people. But it goes without saying that we need an instructed tongue to speak rightly. Listen to this from Isaiah 50:4 [NKJV]
“The LORD God has given Me
The tongue of the learned,
That I should know how to speak
A word in season to him who is weary.
He awakens Me morning by morning,
He awakens My ear
To hear as the learned.”
A disciple’s tongue which is instructed by the LORD will be a disciplined tongue!
Prayer: Dear LORD, I am willing to learn from You to have a disciplined tongue that I may know how to speak. Amen!
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