Discover His heart: He purifies our hearts, producing wise words from our lips
With the advent of texting, tweeting and Facebooking, not to mention old-school emailing, one might think that speaking has become passé. However, let me reassure you, as long as at least two women know that there’s a sale going on somewhere, the conversation will flow. It’s just the way it is. When my seven-year-old granddaughter chattered for 20 minutes without noticeably breathing, I knew the art of speaking was alive and well. Solomon had much to say about the words we speak – perhaps something to do with having multiple wives – but regardless, his cautions and observations will save us from a great deal of heartache.
Classic wisdom for me is found in Proverbs 10:19, underlined in red in my Bible, “Too much talk leads to sin. Be sensible and keep your mouth shut.” Simple, straight up advice. All of us say words that cause pain at one time or another, intentional or not, and we would give just about anything to retrieve them. Once our words leave our mouth or enter the social networks, it’s impossible to take them back…frightening. This thought alone should persuade us to guard our words, whether spoken or written.
Jesus took the impact of our words a step further, “The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart…For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks.” (Luke 6:45) Our words reflect what is in the heart, producing a double exposure, if you will, of not only our thoughts but also of the character we possess. Abraham Lincoln is credited with saying, “Better to be silent and thought a fool, than to open your mouth and remove all doubt.”
I have always wanted my words to speak life and not death, to speak blessing rather than cursing. Sadly, I have failed on occasion. However, Solomon’s words encourage me to move on from spoken sins and mistakes and continue striving for words of wisdom, “The words of the godly are a life-giving fountain…Wise words come from the lips of people with understanding…the words of the godly are like sterling silver…The words of the godly encourage many…The mouth of the godly person gives wise advice…The lips of the godly speak helpful words.” (11-32) Oh, that I will always communicate the words of the godly!
Moving Forward: Lord, touch my heart today to where my words, both spoken and written, reflect purity and bring encouragement to others.
Tomorrow @ Ezekiel 25-30
Phyllis Benigas 