WORDS MATTER

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In Christ, Mark

The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

The words of the wicked lie in wait for blood, but the speech of the upright rescues them.

The words of the reckless pierce like swords, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.

The Lord detests the thoughts of the wicked, but gracious words are pure in his sight.

The wise in heart are called discerning, and gracious words promote instruction.

Gracious words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones.

The one who has knowledge uses words with restraint, and whoever has understanding is even-tempered.

Proverbs 12:6, 12:18, 15:26, 16:21, 16:24, 17:27

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

Consider this simple prayer request from the psalmist David and ponder it for a few seconds:

May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer. Psalm 19:14

David, chosen by God to be the anointed King of Israel knew that words mattered, especially when it came to living in the favor of the Lord. It’s little wonder why he was known as a man after God’s own heart.

But how about us? Do we hold the same conscientiousness when we open our mouths and let words fly?

As I listen to people speak every day, directly and indirectly, I think we have a lot of work to do when it comes to showing discernment in the words we use. Perhaps the following proverbs will help us see what the word of God has to say about words and how they matter:

1. The words of the wicked lie in wait for blood, but the speech of the upright rescues them. Proverbs 12:6

Other translations deliver this verse as follows:

The words of the wicked are a deadly ambush, but the speech of the upright delivers them. (NRSV)

The words of the wicked are like a murderous ambush, but the words of the godly save lives. (NLT)

The wicked talk about killing people, but the words of good people will save them. (NCV)

The words of the wicked kill; the speech of the upright saves. (The Message)

The words of the wicked are murderous, but the words of the righteous rescue those who are threatened. (GNT)

The general theme is here is that there are two general ways of speech. One is wicked, the other righteous.

The wicked are always trying to destroy and kill with the words they use. Their sinful purpose is to kill another through their lexicon whether through slander, gossip, insult, profanity, or deceit.

Conversely, the righteous, those who are upright through their relationship with the Lord, will always seek to rescue and deliver and save those who are injured or threatened by the words of the wicked.

Which of these two categories do you fit into?

2. The words of the reckless pierce like swords, but the tongue of the wise brings healing. Proverbs 12:18

Many people think that you have to take physical action against another to damage them. I completely disagree with that assertion for words can be just as damaging, if not more so, than physical injury.

As the proverb so accurately portrays, words can pierce a person’s psyche and soul like a sword, often leaving a person wounded in such a way that they never recover. And the wicked can be almost surgical sometimes in the way they use their words to permanently harm another person forever.

I have ministered to people like this, people who had been beat down so much by words that they were on emotional life support. It’s hard to find the right words to help get them back on the road to recovery. This is why we need to allow the Lord to give us the words to say.

A wise person does just that. They don’t lean on their own understanding but rather allow the Lord to use them as an instrument of healing, providing them words that serve as a healing balm to the person in need of hearing them. The surgeon has to repair a person from the outside in. The Lord heals from the inside out and he does so through the miraculous restorative power of His words.

3. The Lord detests the thoughts of the wicked, but gracious words are pure in his sight. Proverbs 15:26

The Lord detests wickedness. Period. Whether actions or words or thoughts, sin is NEVER acceptable.

What He does favor is purity in what we do and that purity comes through the righteousness He brings to every person who places their faith and trust in Him to be the Lord of their life. The people who enter into a relationship with the Lord will always speak words of grace and hope and encouragement and love to others.

4. The wise in heart are called discerning, and gracious words promote instruction. Proverbs 16:21

Here we find a proverb that speaks only to the positive use of words. Those who speak gracious words in the spirit of the Lord’s righteousness will always guide and instruct people in the right direction. They will be viewed as wise in heart, called discerning, and sought out for advice by people who are seeking it.

5. Gracious words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones. Proverbs 16:24

We discussed how words can be damaging. They can also be sweet to the soul.

Words of love, words of encouragement, words of forgiveness, and words of guidance are pleasing and enjoyable to the ears of the hearer, an aural blessing which penetrates to the innermost parts of their heart.

6. The one who has knowledge uses words with restraint, and whoever has understanding is even-tempered. Proverbs 17:27

The wicked refuse to check the words they speak. Rather than carefully watch their words by allowing the Lord to screen or provide them, the wicked conscientiously scheme and craft their words to ensure they inflict maximum damage when they say them.

Conversely, the one wise in the Lord will always exercise restraint, even tempered in all that they say as they put the knowledge and understanding they gain from the Lord’s word, will, and way into practice.

The word of God is clear here. Words matter and we would be well served to watch every one we use. The key is opening our hearts and minds so that the Lord can enter in through His Spirit and speak through us. When we do this, when we offer ourselves up a microphone through which the Lord can speak through, then the words we use will always be pleasing in the sight of the Lord, our Rock and Redeemer.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

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