Fools care nothing for thoughtful discourse; all they do is run off at the mouth. v. 2 (The Message)
Here I go again today! Hearing about how much I should use my mouth! God is so faithful to make sure I do hear Him!
The words of a man’s mouth are like deep waters. The fountain of wisdom is like a flowing brook. v. 4 (WEB)
The various translations are all over the map on what this really says. So I am just going to comment on what it is saying to me. A person’s words are murky and sometimes difficult to see clearly in truth. But wisdom from the Holy Spirit is like an arrow or laser through those murky waters. There is a reason that Jesus promised the Holy Spirit. He knew I would need Him.
To be partial to the faces of the wicked is not good, nor to deprive the innocent of justice. v. 5 (WEB)
Letting someone – slide by – because it’s easier or more expedient is not God’s way. God says He will balance the scales of justice. I am not to cross His line into revenge but to let God be the judge.
A fool’s lips come into strife, and his mouth invites beatings.
A fool’s mouth is his destruction, and his lips are a snare to his soul. v. 6-7 (WEB)
Do you have a definition of ‘fool’? Today, for me it’s about when I do not turn to God first. The world may see a fool as someone without common sense or ‘good judgment’. But I know better than that. It is God who has truth and wisdom in a world that is spiraling in madness. It is in God that I trust.
Listening to gossip is like eating cheap candy; do you really want junk like that in your belly? v. 8 (The Message)
I don’t have much more to say than what The Message said. Gossip can ‘taste’ like Godiva chocolate, not necessarily cheap but still just as bad for me.
The name of Yahweh is a strong tower: the righteous run to him, and are safe. v. 10 (WEB)
A promise. A God promise. Something to write on my heart and become part of my heart, my spirit.
Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and they who indulge in it shall eat the fruit of it [for death or life]. v. 21 (The Amplified Bible)
I have eaten the poison fruit of my sharp tongue. It took God to extract the root of that poison. The fruit of “true,…noble,…admirable,…and praiseworthy†words (Philippians 4:8) in contrast are roots to be fertilized and encouraged to grow in my life. Paul had a gift for speaking, didn’t he? He used his tongue for destruction, met Jesus and was changed to use his tongue to spread the Good News. Two sides of the same coin.
A man of many companions may be ruined, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother. v. 24 (WEB)
Jesus. When all others let me down, there is Jesus. He is always there. He knows me better than anyone. He loves me more than any other. This verse, too, is a promise.
