Evening Devotion 13/01/2015 REFLECTION A soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger. The tongue of the wise useth knowledge aright: but the mouth of fools poureth out foolishness. (Proverbs 15:1-2 KJV) A wholesome tongue is a tree of life: but perverseness therein is a breach in the spirit. (Proverbs 15:4 KJV) We are told elsewhere in Proverbs that wise words bring healing (see 12:18) and that the tongue contains “the power of life and death” (Proverbs 18:21). Here we see that a gentle answer defuses anger, wise words enhance knowledge and soothing words bring life. That’s a lot of power for a small part of the body, but the rest of Scripture and our own experience affirm the impact of words. We can wreak a lot of havoc with what we say — James compares our tongues to a spark that can start a forest fire (see James 3:5 – 6). But the opposite is also true: We can praise God and bless others with positive, encouraging, praiseworthy statements of truth. Think of that. We can make a dramatic difference in people’s lives simply by asking God to minister to them, speaking a blessing over them, affirming their gifts, encouraging them about their God-given potential and more. We can heal past wounds, offer forgiveness and declare God’s love. Why would we be reluctant to wield that kind of power? Words of affirmation, blessing and encouragement cost us nothing, but they can accomplish great things. Taken from Once a Day 31 Days of Wisdom
Posted on: Tue, 13 Jan 2015 08:46:14 +0000
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