May the mumbling commence!
Our words are important because
they betray the attitudes of our hearts.
What more can we learn about the power of words from the book of
Proverbs? Read from Proverbs chapter
seventeen:
A truly wise person uses few words;
a person with understanding is even-tempered.
Even fools are thought to be wise when they keep silent;
when they keep their mouths shut, they seem intelligent. (Verses 27-28)
Let’s do whatever we can to be
even-tempered. That means we think
before we speak and that the words we do speak are few and well-thought
out. The more that we speak on a whim,
the more danger there is for disastrous results.
It makes me think of the witticism
that says, “Remain quiet and be thought a fool or open your mouth and remove
all doubt.” Read some verses from
Proverbs chapter eighteen:
A person's words can
be life-giving water;
words of true wisdom are as refreshing
as a bubbling brook. (Verse 4)
Words of wisdom are life-giving
water. Well, that makes me think of
Jesus! Read some more:
What a shame, what folly,
to give advice before listening to the facts! (Verse 13)
Listen to the facts before deciding
for yourself… and then speaking your mind.
And be careful to check facts from opposing sides before deciding. Too often, we are drawn to fact sources that
seem to validate the way we think already.
That is shameful and foolish.
Read a pair of verses from Proverbs chapter eighteen:
Words satisfy the soul as food satisfies the stomach;
the right
words on a person's lips bring
satisfaction.
Those who love to talk will experience the
consequences,
for the
tongue can kill or nourish life.
(Verses 20-21)
It makes me think about the witticism
that says, “The difference between the right word and the almost right word is
the difference between lightning and a lightning bug.” So, let’s be careful about the words that we
speak, for words cannot be retrieved after they are spoken.
With all this said, what words can
we trust? Go to Second Peter chapter one
to find the answer. Read a passage from
it below:
For we were not making up clever stories when we told you about the power of
our Lord Jesus Christ and his coming again. We have seen his majestic splendor with our own eyes. And he received honor and glory from God the
Father when God's glorious, majestic voice called down from heaven, "This
is my beloved Son; I am fully pleased with him." We ourselves heard the voice when we were
there with him on the holy mountain.
Because of that, we have even greater confidence in the message
proclaimed by the prophets. Pay
close attention to what they wrote, for their words are like a light
shining in a dark place – until the day Christ appears and his brilliant light
shines in your hearts. Above all, you must understand that no prophecy in
Scripture ever came from the prophets themselves or because they wanted to
prophesy. It was the Holy Spirit who
moved the prophets to speak from God. (Verses
16-21)
All words that are true and good
come from the Lord God. That is
fact. Praise God!
Enough mumbling for now…
Peace Out
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