Wednesday, August 19
Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will
eat its fruit.
—Proverbs 18:21
Words have caused wars; they have also revived drooping
hearts. At times we are so cavalier in the use of our words, that
their power escapes us. Yet it would be well for us to remember that the
tongue has more influence than we often admit.
When we love our words so
much that we eagerly use them to manipulate situations and people, we will
find that the words become hollow and dry. The fruit of our speech withers
on our tongue and leaves us hungry, for there is nothing there but the words
themselves.
On the other hand, when it is God we love rather than our own words and our words are formed by the relationship we share with our Creator, we will taste the fruit of those words as well. What we speak will provide a feast for our souls when our words have been full of grace.
Gracious God, let my words flow from the warmth of your love. May I taste only words that have been nurtured in that love.
