Thought for the Day

Verse 2 - As we have already seen, Proverbs says much about the effect that words have on our lives. Gracious words bring favor to those who speak them. Cruel words produce the opposite effect. We all enjoy being with considerate people, but we try to avoid those who speak rudely or crudely. Words are creative. Sound words create a wholesome atmosphere; evil words create an offensive one. When we agree with God's Word and speak the things the Bible declares to be true, we create an atmosphere in our hearts in which faith can flourish. If we speak doubt and unbelief, it will destroy our faith. God Himself created the world by the words that He spoke. In the first chapter of the Bible, He spoke these words: "...Let there be..." and it was so! We also can influence and create the atmosphere of the world around us with the words of our mouths!

Things do not come out of our mouths accidentally; they reveal what is already in our hearts though we may have been unaware of their presence. Expressions of jealousy, falsehood, fear, doubt, hatred, resentment, pride, selfishness and so forth reveal those very things to be in our hearts (Matthew 12:34-37). We all say things that we wish we could take back. When we do speak wrong things, we should repent and ask God to cleanse our hearts. Each time that we repent of the sin in our hearts and correct our speech it makes a difference. We will soon find good things coming out of our mouths more often than evil things.

Verse 3 - If we allow the Holy Spirit to direct our lives and ask Him to fill our mouths with His Word, we shall "keep our mouths" and live abundant lives. "And Jesus answered him, saying, It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God" (Luke 4:4). We enter into life by speaking and living God's Word (Matthew 19:17). We can rest assured that what God has said is true. God's words are eternal and will never pass away. "Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away" (Mark 13:31). He cannot lie. If we align our words with His, we shall be blessed. Allowing just anything to come out of our mouths brings destruction. Let us ask God to help us keep our mouths from saying wrong things, even as David did in the Psalms: "Set a watch, O LORD, before my mouth; keep the door of my lips" (Psalm 141:3).