JUNE 17, 2015
Wise Words
Read:
Proverbs
10:18-21; 12:17-19
The
tongue of the wise brings healing. —Proverbs 12:18 NIV
What is the strongest
muscle in the human body? Some say it’s the tongue, but it’s hard to determine which
muscle is the most powerful because muscles don’t work alone.
But we do know that
the tongue is strong. For a small muscle, it can do a lot of damage. This
active little muscular organ that helps us eat, swallow, taste, and begin
digestion has a tendency to also assist us in saying things we shouldn’t. The
tongue is guilty of flattery, cursing, lying, boasting, and harming others. And
that’s just the short list.
It sounds like a
pretty dangerous muscle, doesn’t it? But here’s the good thing: It doesn’t have
to be that way. When we are controlled by the Holy Spirit, our tongues can be
turned to great good. We can speak of God’s righteousness (Ps. 35:28) and
justice (37:30). We can speak truth (15:2), show love (1 John 3:18), and
confess sin (1 John 1:9).
The writer of Proverbs
12:18 spells out one of the best uses of the tongue: “The tongue of the wise
brings healing” (niv). Imagine how we could glorify the One who made our
tongues when He helps us use it to bring healing—not harm—to everyone we talk
to.
Please guard each word
we say so we reflect You and Your love. Help our tongues speak words of healing
and not harm.
Encourage
one another and build each other up. 1 Thessalonians 5:11 niv
INSIGHT:
Proverbs warns us of the consequences of our
words (Prov. 10:20-21; 12:13,18; 13:3; 16:24,27-28; 18:7; 22:5; 25:11-12).
Wrong words are likened to a powerful fire (16:27) and weapons of war (12:18;
25:18; 26:18). A wise person is one who is restrained and judicious in his
speech. Interestingly, we are reminded that if we keep silent, we will never
say the wrong thing (10:19) and we will even be thought to be wise (17:28).
Source: Our Daily Bread 2015
