July 3, 2009

EATING OUR WORDS

Proverbs 18

Charla Dixon
Friday's Devo

July 3, 2009

Friday's Devo

July 3, 2009

Central Truth

The words we say and take in have the power to send us to life or chaos.

Key Verse | Proverbs 18:21

Death and life are in the power of the tongue,
and those who love its use will eat its fruit.
(Proverbs 18:21)

Proverbs 18

Whoever isolates himself seeks his own desire;
    he breaks out against all sound judgment.
A fool takes no pleasure in understanding,
    but only in expressing his opinion.
When wickedness comes, contempt comes also,
    and with dishonor comes disgrace.
The words of a man's mouth are deep waters;
    the fountain of wisdom is a bubbling brook.
It is not good to be partial to 1 18:5 Hebrew to lift the face of the wicked
    or to deprive the righteous of justice.
A fool's lips walk into a fight,
    and his mouth invites a beating.
A fool's mouth is his ruin,
    and his lips are a snare to his soul.
The words of a whisperer are like delicious morsels;
    they go down into the inner parts of the body.
Whoever is slack in his work
    is a brother to him who destroys.
10  The name of the LORD is a strong tower;
    the righteous man runs into it and is safe.
11  A rich man's wealth is his strong city,
    and like a high wall in his imagination.
12  Before destruction a man's heart is haughty,
    but humility comes before honor.
13  If one gives an answer before he hears,
    it is his folly and shame.
14  A man's spirit will endure sickness,
    but a crushed spirit who can bear?
15  An intelligent heart acquires knowledge,
    and the ear of the wise seeks knowledge.
16  A man's gift makes room for him
    and brings him before the great.
17  The one who states his case first seems right,
    until the other comes and examines him.
18  The lot puts an end to quarrels
    and decides between powerful contenders.
19  A brother offended is more unyielding than a strong city,
    and quarreling is like the bars of a castle.
20  From the fruit of a man's mouth his stomach is satisfied;
    he is satisfied by the yield of his lips.
21  Death and life are in the power of the tongue,
    and those who love it will eat its fruits.
22  He who finds a wife finds a good thing
    and obtains favor from the LORD.
23  The poor use entreaties,
    but the rich answer roughly.
24  A man of many companions may come to ruin,
    but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.

Footnotes

[1] 18:5 Hebrew to lift the face of

Dive Deeper | Proverbs 18

What we say has unbelievable power. This little gift will bring either life to others and ourselves or leave chaos and death. When I think back, it’s crazy how many words have moved me forward, caused me to step back, and kept me standing still in positive and negative ways. Words invite a response both in us and in others.

While in Celebrate Recovery (Watermark's biblical recovery ministry), I heard the impact of words in every testimony. Only Christ's Spirit could bring light into the fog. In high school, a close guy friend and I were joking around one day and decided to rate each other in terms of attractiveness and potential on a scale from 1-10. Not a smart move. He went first. His rating of me burned deep in my insecure heart and formed a grid that would take a long time to dismantle. But I also remember my dad saying “I’m proud of you” more times than I can count. I never doubted my dad’s support and love for me. The fruit was a lot of positive motivation that kept me growing in areas of giftedness. Both statements shaped me. 

Through the years I’ve watched God use His Word to do even more. It has rooted out the death that I and others brought in, tuned my heart to respond to Him, and provided a foundation of life in Him. His Word washes away the resistance of connecting with His heart. I have His delight and approval through Christ. His Word is near because He is near. And it overflows to others as He helps me encourage in life-giving ways. A free heart blesses.

The older I get the more I see the value of how words lead a life and how a faithful response yields the rich honor of knowing Him. The ones following after us chase our words if they catch our heart and learn to love what we love. My prayer is that they love the truthful tongue of hope, faith, and devotion to the One who gives the fruit of His life without limit.

Discussion Questions

1. How have you been impacted by another’s words in your life and also in the past couple of weeks? How did their words motivate you both in good and/or negative ways?
2. How have you let God’s Word challenge the grid formed in you over time through others' evaluations?
3. When are you more tempted to be careless with your words? What could you do to be more thoughtful before you speak?