Prov 8:7 [ESV] for my mouth will utter truth; wickedness is an abomination to my lips.
I was up in the mountains in the Highlands of Scotland fishing with a good friend one day and he told me a story that shook me to the core as a young Christian. He was in a lively and vibrant local church that was growing and making an impact on the community – he himself, at the time of the story, was very new to the faith and was learning each day. There was a knock on the door one night and when he answered the door there was a group of three “elders” from his local church at the door. He was pleased to see them and invited them into his house. They sat down with him and then he told me they started to tell him that they had come to visit him in obedience to God’s word to “point out some of his sins”.
When he told me this bit I nearly spat out my teeth in surprise. I was shocked, and truthfully did not know what to say. I asked him what happened then, and he told me he got up, told this group to leave and not to come to his house again.
This man, was one of the gentlest, kindest and great examples of what it means to be a man that I had ever met. It broke my heart a little to think of him being treated like this – that he could perhaps be left with this image of Jesus on his mind and heart.
I’m sure that the group themselves matured over time and came to realise that there was a way not to do things.
His story impacted me, and I found myself with an internal prayer to God that my words would try to bring life and hope, to speak of mercy and grace, and while I would never back away from bringing a challenge, I would do it in such a way as it represented God’s love for all. Easier to write than to do for sure 😊
KNOWLEDGE – what do you and I think when we realise that every single word we speak is offered up to God and he hears it, understands it, and is looking for evidence of His son living in us through both our actions and our words. His Son is The Word, so should we be surprised to understand that God is looking for His son in our words? How important is it to you today that your words (all your words) are honouring, life giving and encouraging as well as at time challenging. Perhaps as I consider this, my own revelation is more the condition of my heart, than the content of my words right now? As we know, from out of the abundance of the heart my mouth speaks.
UNDERSTANDING
Let’s pick one word from this verse to look closer at and see if that can help us gain a deeper insight into how God would love us to live?
The word that is translated to “utter” is pronounced as “hagah” in Hebrew and carries the meaning of – “to utter a sound; moan; meditate; to mutter; – the act of thoughtful deliberation with the implication of speaking to oneself”.
The word used in the LXX is ανοίσω (anoiso) and this word is seen ten times in the New Testament in the form of ἀναφέρω (anaphero) – to offer up.
WISDOM
How do I reflect on my words each day and learn?
STRENGTHS THOUGHT: WOO (Winning Others Over) as a Gallup Strength has this beautiful ability to quickly connect both with people and with opportunity. In its healthy altruistic state it is a blessing to all, when it is motivated only by self-gain, it can be appear to be so attractive, but in fact is much less beautiful
Allan’s Unauthorised Version For my mouth, my tongue and my lips will sound a meditation of faithfulness, reliability, trustworthiness and truth; wrongdoing is loathsome, repulsive and detestable to the lips of my mouth.
For my mouth – for my mouth, my tongue, my lips
will utter – will sound a meditation
truth – of faithfulness and reliability, trustworthiness and truth
wickedness – wrongdoing
is an abomination – is loathsome, repulsive, and detestable
to my lips – to the lips of my mouth.
PRAYER: Father, thank you for today. Help me to be like you and to seriously guard what comes out of my mouth, as much as I guard what goes into my heart.
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