Vol. 6, No. 29 – July 18, 2021
Nitroglycerine Words
Proverbs 18:21
Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruits. –Proverbs 18:21
What if you were open to an experiment? Perhaps for the next week, refrain from saying anything negative about anyone or anything. That includes politicians, neighbors, church folks, and your kid’s teachers. Wow!
The difference between the right word and the almost right word is the difference between lightning and the lightning bug –Mark Twain. (Count on me to find this stuff!)
Proverbs is a great book; the contents are pithy, and you know I like pithy!
A worker’s appetite works for him; his mouth urges him on. A worthless man plots evil, and his speech is like a scorching fire –Proverbs 16:26-27.
You can tell more about a person by what they say about others, than by what others say about them.
Jesus said, You brood of vipers! How can you speak good when you are evil? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks –Matthew 12:34-35. Look it up in your Bible, then read the rest of the chapter; the words of Jesus are profound.
Think about:
- The believer says, let’s find a way; the pretender says, there is no way
- The believer says, there should be a better way to do it; the pretender says, that is the way it has always been done
- The believer says, next time; the pretender says, if only
- The believer says, what if it does work; the pretender says, what if it does not work
Did you know that ignorance is always eager to speak? It is ignorant to hold your tongue when you are convicted you must say something. After all, you cannot be hurt by what you do not say—can you? Silence is the ultimate weapon of power; it is also one of the hardest arguments to dispute.
I remember hearing a lot of great statements. I just wish I could remember the context!
Never judge a person’s horsepower by their exhaust.
Life Application
We should take a notice from the way we were made: our ears are made to stay open, not close. Our mouths are made to open and shut. When you are tempted to argue, consider that you are in charge of opening and shutting your mouth. Also, we need to be reminded that we do not hear nearly as well when our mouth is in gear. I love fishing; but it is when the fish opens his mouth he gets caught!
Read what Jesus says in Matthew 12:37—there is a great caution for us.
A wise old owl sat on an oak
The more he saw the less he spoke
The less he spoke the more he heard
What aren’t we like that wise old bird?
–Edward H. Richards
Some people speak from experience; others, from experience do not speak.
