“Power of Life and Death”
20 From the fruit of a man’s mouth his stomach is satisfied;
Proverbs 18:20-21, ESV
he is satisfied by the yield of his lips.
21 Death and life are in the power of the tongue,
and those who love it will eat its fruits.
When thinking about the idea of what my mouth is used for, I’m likely thinking in the realm of what great foods I can cook and enjoy. While what we eat is an important topic, today’s message is less about what we put in our mouths, and more about what comes out from them. The Word of God teaches us that what comes out of our mouths actually has more powerful impact on our lives than what we put into them.
There was time when Jesus was approached by the religious leaders of the day who were very concerned that his disciples weren’t appropriately washing their hands before they ate (Matt. 15:1-2). Kind of sounds like mom before dinner, right? Now don’t go dishonoring your mom now though, Jesus rebuked them for that sort of thing right after they raised their concerns about washing (Matt. 15:3-6). But then after correcting the Pharisees and scribes regarding dishonoring their parents, Jesus explains to all that it’s not what goes into the mouth that pollutes a person.
10 And he called the people to him and said to them, “Hear and understand: 11 it is not what goes into the mouth that defiles a person, but what comes out of the mouth; this defiles a person.”
Matthew 15:10-11, ESV
We may often think about the diet of what comes into our mouth, but what about the regimen of what comes out of it? If our overall health is truly so impacted by the menu of what we speak, then maybe we should start to consider our verbal diet. The Scriptures also teach us that our words have the ability to impact those around us (Eph. 4:29).
Today, let’s take some inventory of our words. Are we speaking words that make us clean, or unclean? Are we uttering words that bring life, or death, for us and those around us? May we purpose today to select our verbal menu carefully, and to speak God’s Word over ourselves and those around us (Psalm 119:102-103).
Song for today:
Prayer for today:
Father, I want to have a healthy verbal diet. Forgive me for any times of carelessly spoken unclean or untrue words over myself or those around me. Help me to develop a repertoire of words that line up with your Word that gives life. Fill my mouth with your words, that what I say will wash over my life like clean and pure water, and that my words may be a conduit for your grace to anyone who hears me.