June 2020

03/06/2020

Proverbs 18 v 20 - 21
"Death and life are in the power of the tongue"

There is this constant thread running through the book of Proverbs, concerning righteousness and evil, the upright and the wicked, and we are warned against wicked and self-righteous men.

The above scripture is no different. Let’s have a closer look:

Verse 20
With the fruit of a man’s mouth his stomach will be satisfied
It is written that they will know you by your fruit, while the saying goes, the heart that is full is the mouth of the ear. Words are powerful and more often than not, you utter what you think and how you feel. Battles have been won through the use of words. Things that are said, can either comfort or manipulate others. How do you use the power of words? Do you build those up around you, then you will be satisfied. If used to lie and deceive, you create a hunger you cannot still. Think about it…

He will be satisfied with the product of his lips
Whether used to compliment and praise, or belittle others and break them down, depending on the condition of your heart, your lips will either cause you to see the results of what you say to God and others and be content with it, satisfied with the outcome, regardless of the harm you cause, or once you see the result, attempt to rectify it.

Vers 21
Death and life are in the power of the tongue
Now we get to the crux of the matter. The tongue. While only a muscle used when eating, it’s a powerful tool in the “war of words“. Does your tongue give praise to God and also bless others, or does your tongue curse and “concoct” words of hate? Do you speak “life” or “death“? Think of God, how he spoke the universe into existence and gave everything life. Now compare that with How satan blasphemes the Lord and speaks death, through those that persecute followers of Jesus…

And those who love it will eat its fruit
And those who love the tongue, love using it, whether it be to build up and compliment others, or not, they will eat the fruit, they will carry the consequences of their thoughts and feelings, put into words. Should you use your tongue to worship the Lord or lie and deceive others, the end result will be according. Therefore we should count our words, and guard our hearts, for if we should speak things that are not of God, we must be willing to take responsibility for it.

Conclusion:
Therefore, be watchful, sober in Spirit and alert, for drunkards have no control over their tongue, literally! The spirit of the Lord is a Spirit of self-control. May the Spirit teach you how to worship the Lord and also how to speak to people in a respectful manner. Use your tongue wisely and make every word count.

“Scripture quotations taken from the NASB, Life Application Study Bible, unless stated otherwise. Copyright by The Lockman Foundation”