Scripture:
Proverbs 16:20-25 ESV
[20] Whoever gives thought to the word will discover good, and blessed is he who trusts in the Lord. [21] The wise of heart is called discerning, and sweetness of speech increases persuasiveness. [22] Good sense is a fountain of life to him who has it, but the instruction of fools is folly. [23] The heart of the wise makes his speech judicious and adds persuasiveness to his lips. [24] Gracious words are like a honeycomb, sweetness to the soul, and health to the body. [25] There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death.
Observation:
As I have said in our journey through the book of Proverbs. Solomon was very wise. Over and over again, he tells us to be careful about what we say, and honestly, we can see it all through the Bible. In this case, he is telling us to give thought to the word. That’s the way to discover what is good and right. Trusting that the LORD knows us better than we do because HE made us. I know that most of us have heard it said you catch more flies with honey than you do with vinegar. That’s honestly what is being said here. Verse 22 gives an example of why all this is being said. Solomon wants us to know that a person who thinks about what he says is considered a wise person, but the person who just blurts out whatever comes across his mind without thought is very foolish. The heart of someone who is wise thinks about what they say, and they speak it carefully. Not altering the truth. However, saying it with grace. He brings this to an end by saying… just because it feels right doesn’t mean it is right. The way we speak is something that Solomon paid real close attention to in Proverbs. He talks about it a lot. The one that comes to mind the most is… the power of life and death is held within the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit.
Application:
Have you ever said something, and as you heard the words coming out, thought… this is not a good idea. You can’t get the words back after you said them, and to be honest, words hurt worse than a punch in the mouth. They cut your heart. We really need to be careful about what we say. I’m not saying I’m good at this. But I can see how the bible tells me I need to be. I can bring to mind a lot of verses that tell us to guard how we talk to others. James 1:19-20 just right off the top of my head. These verses tell me that I need to slow down when I feel like I need to respond immediately. Take time to listen, and maybe my reaction will be different. When we let our anger control our words, we bring no glory to GOD. But when we think carefully through what we want to say, then we can get the best results. Everyone wins. The saying “You catch more flies with honey than you do with vinegar ” is valuable. When you think about what you say and speak the truth in love the person you are speaking to is more willing to receive it. When you start yelling I stop listening it happens automatically. So let’s think about how we speak. Let’s act out of love rather than react out of anger. You can’t get those words back. Some words still ring in my ears that were said years ago, and every time I hear them, they still cut like the first time they were said.
Prayer:
Father, words have power, but of course, you know that because you made the world with them. Help us to think about the words we use. We don’t want to say things that hurt those whom you made. Guard our hearts because out of it flows, the abundance of what we are feeding. We want to feed love. We want to reflect you. So let our words do just that because our actions will follow what we say at some point, and we just want the world to see you in who we are to them. It’s in the mighty name of Jesus I pray amen.