Wisdom #16

Wisdom for your Mouth

The tongue is a powerful tool.  Death and life are in the power of the tongue, meaning that what comes out of our mouths can bring prosperity or destruction to ourselves and others.  Proverbs spends several chapters focusing in on the concept of what we say and how we should say.  Due to this prolonged focus, we will break from our usual chapter-by-chapter format and dive into as many of these references as possible

Just Your Mouth

In Proverbs 10, justice is referenced several times.  The mouth of the just brings forth wisdom.  We see then that the two are tied together. So what is it to be just?  The term used for it in proverbs intimates honesty, virtuosity, and piety.  This is to say that if we speak the truth both purely and from a place of reverence towards God, wisdom will be brought into our lives. 

Other blessings that come with being just in speech include:

• Blessings that will crown our lives (10:6)
• Our lives will be a memorial to others (10:7)
• Our words will be valuable to ourselves and others (10:20)

Watch Your Mouth

In Proverbs of 11, we find that just because we have a silver tongue, doesn't mean we need to use it.  Wisdom guides us to earn people's trust by being a person of confidence. We do not to use this confidence against them, though.  We use it to counsel them on the issues of their lives.   As we grow in our counsel of others, they will trust us.  If they trust our word, they will trust our witness. The result will be an expansion of the Kingdom of God, and that is the mark of a wise man.

Right Your Mouth

Proverbs 11 mentions righteous action to go along with careful speech.  In Proverbs 12, though, we see righteousness being given a voice as well.  We see that deliverance comes from righteous speech.  We see shortly after that we are commended for our wisdom, which ties righteousness to being wise.  If we speak and live a righteous life, God will tell our story.  He will announce us both in Heaven and in Earth.  This will grow our witness and make us more viable to His cause.

We are also told that the fruit of the righteous man's mouth will do him good.  That is to say, what we produce from our words will be our reward.  If I speak righteousness, it will bring the blessings of God to me.  This in turn will lead to righteous actions, which also reap blessings from God.  If we start speaking the right way, it seems, there will be great things on the horizon for us.

Deep Waters

What we speak out directly affects our walk with God.  If our speech is honest, pure and holy, we will find ourselves in a new level of wisdom.  When we are careful with our speech, letting God lead us in what to say and when to say it, we will find ourselves to be a great influence in His Kingdom.  Finally if we commit to speaking the right way-God's way-we find ourselves delivered from the hand of the enemy and the wicked.  Moreover, God will expand our horizons and we will see blessings untold.  This is all great, and the greater news is that the depths and reaches of these results are untold.  There is no end to what God will give us if we will give him our most influential body part. 

Activation

Let God have control of what you say.
Allow Him to lead you in how to speak justly, carefully, and righteously.
Examine Proverbs 10,11 and 12 to see what other things are associated with these concepts.
See how deep God brings you in just one week of letting Him have your tongue.

We will try to have a video up sometime in the near future.  We will post a link for it on our Facebook page, so check there to find it or go to our YouTube Channel.  We will add it to this post as well.  Thanks and happy speaking.