Reading: Proverbs 12 - 15
My Verse: "A soft answer turns away wrath,
but a harsh word stirs up anger" (Proverbs 15:1).
This simple little verse brims with immensity! LORD God, Your word is so amazingly packed with wisdom and instruction - all with this powerful backdrop of a redeeming, complete and unconditional love! Oh, that my lips would reflect You and have a "soft answer!"
As a child I often wondered at the nursery rhyme;
Sticks and stone may break my bones,
but names will never hurt me.
I truly felt that mean things people said were very hurtful. And once said they cannot be taken back, they enter into the permanent background of one's life and experience. They help to color the way one goes forward, how one thinks. Many would often laugh it off and say, "Oh, it's nothing!" But, I would silently protest - it is! It is something! Or, someone may say, "I was only kidding!" That never quite cut it for me either.
Words can create great havoc as James 3:5 says, "Likewise, the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark."
The ESV study bible states, "a 'harsh word' is literally a 'word of pain', that is hurtful."
You, LORD God know the value of words. You know how deeply they can wound. You teach us, in Your Word, to be mindful of all that we say, when we say it and how we say it.
"The tongue of the wise utters knowledge rightly" (Proverbs 15:2a)
"A gentle tongue [with its healing power] is a tree of life" (Proverbs 15:4).
"The lips of the wise disperse knowledge" (Proverbs 15:7).
"The mind of the [uncompromisingly] righteous studies how to answer" (Proverbs 15:28).
James 1:26 has a most amazing warning. "Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless." Only the other day I was speaking with someone and in response to something I said, she swore! I was like, umm . . don't we go to the same church? I have heard others who claim to be Christians speak of how they hate someone, particularly in politics. I can't help but wonder - where is Your LOVE here, LORD God?
"Set a guard over my mouth, LORD; keep watch over the door of my lips" (Psalm 141:3).
Help me to be ever mindful of how I speak. "Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear" (Ephesians 4:29).
Thank You, LORD God, for this powerful little verse! Thank You for the power of Your Word!
The spoken word has a huge impact on its hearers - I pray for wisdom and discretion to speak wisely and softly.
Ditat Deus - God Enriches!
My Verse: "A soft answer turns away wrath,
but a harsh word stirs up anger" (Proverbs 15:1).
This simple little verse brims with immensity! LORD God, Your word is so amazingly packed with wisdom and instruction - all with this powerful backdrop of a redeeming, complete and unconditional love! Oh, that my lips would reflect You and have a "soft answer!"
As a child I often wondered at the nursery rhyme;
Sticks and stone may break my bones,
but names will never hurt me.
I truly felt that mean things people said were very hurtful. And once said they cannot be taken back, they enter into the permanent background of one's life and experience. They help to color the way one goes forward, how one thinks. Many would often laugh it off and say, "Oh, it's nothing!" But, I would silently protest - it is! It is something! Or, someone may say, "I was only kidding!" That never quite cut it for me either.
Words can create great havoc as James 3:5 says, "Likewise, the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark."
The ESV study bible states, "a 'harsh word' is literally a 'word of pain', that is hurtful."
You, LORD God know the value of words. You know how deeply they can wound. You teach us, in Your Word, to be mindful of all that we say, when we say it and how we say it.
"The tongue of the wise utters knowledge rightly" (Proverbs 15:2a)
"A gentle tongue [with its healing power] is a tree of life" (Proverbs 15:4).
"The lips of the wise disperse knowledge" (Proverbs 15:7).
"The mind of the [uncompromisingly] righteous studies how to answer" (Proverbs 15:28).
James 1:26 has a most amazing warning. "Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless." Only the other day I was speaking with someone and in response to something I said, she swore! I was like, umm . . don't we go to the same church? I have heard others who claim to be Christians speak of how they hate someone, particularly in politics. I can't help but wonder - where is Your LOVE here, LORD God?
"Set a guard over my mouth, LORD; keep watch over the door of my lips" (Psalm 141:3).
Help me to be ever mindful of how I speak. "Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear" (Ephesians 4:29).
Thank You, LORD God, for this powerful little verse! Thank You for the power of Your Word!
The spoken word has a huge impact on its hearers - I pray for wisdom and discretion to speak wisely and softly.
Ditat Deus - God Enriches!
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