Verse from Proverbs

“恩慈的话好象蜂巢中的蜂蜜，使人心里甘甜，骨头健壮。”

箴言 16:24 

“Gracious words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones.”

Proverbs 16:24 

We can’t control the words that come our way, but we can harness the words we speak so that they bring life and encouragement, not destruction. That’s why the psalmist asked God to “set a guard over my mouth” (Psalm 141:3). His prayer is especially apt for us today when our words can travel far and wide via social media.

Jesus set the pattern for how we should use our words. He never backed down from a challenge, yet He spoke with love and grace. His twofold goal was to honor His Father in heaven and to bring about the spiritual health of His hearers. The words He spoke aligned perfectly with His life of sacrifice.

How are we doing with our speech? What do we do when our words have hurt someone? A good start is to offer a heartfelt apology. Then ask the Spirit to help us use words that promote life instead of destruction, unity instead of division.

Lord, 

help us never to take for granted the powerful gift of language. 

May we use our words wisely to heal and strengthen others and point to the hope we have in You.