Daily Devotionals
Daily Devotional: Proverbs 21:21-24
Prov 21:21-24
21 Whoever pursues righteousness and kindness will find life, righteousness, and honor. 22 A wise man scales the city of the mighty and brings down the stronghold in which they trust. 23 Whoever keeps his mouth and his tongue keeps himself out of trouble. 24 “Scoffer” is the name of the arrogant, haughty man who acts with arrogant pride.
Eph 4:29-32
Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.
Several weeks ago, someone wrote Proverbs 21:23 on a sticky note and put it on my desk. While I partially took it as a joke, I think it was also done as a reminder for all of us to be careful what we say, especially when we are angry. We need to speak only those things that will build up, build us up and also build others up in their pursuit of righteousness. Listen, think, re-think, and then speak if needed.
You know that little voice in your head that tells you to “be quiet, don’t say it” or that little nudging in your heart that is telling you to just walk away and not say anything? That is the Spirit talking to you and nudging you to do what you know is the right thing to do or telling you not to do the wrong thing. We ask for wisdom, and he tries to give it to us, but too often we won’t accept it. He will rejoice with you when you follow his will, but it grieves him when you ignore him.
This all starts in our hearts. We are to have the heart of Jesus. This means that we get rid of bitterness and that deep seated wrath before we use our tongues to slander and cause strife or tear others down. We replace these with kindness from a tender heart, a heart that wants to forgive others for whatever they do or say, even when they will not admit they have done wrong. By doing this, we free our own minds and hearts so we can rejoice in the middle of our trials. Trust God!
O Lord God, give me wisdom and self-control to guard my tongue carefully and to only say those things that will build up and never use it to tear down. When difficult things need to be said, give me a loving and tender heart so that I will speak with grace to those who hear. I need your forgiveness continually, so help me offer forgiveness continually to those around me. Help me remember that this life and all the things in this life are temporary so that I will keep them all in the proper perspective. Thank you for loving me. I pray in the name of Jesus.
Robert
