BBD 10.01.14 Just Talking (Classic)
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The Burning
Bush Devotional
Classic
from 2002
10.01.14
Just
Talking
In the multitude of words sin is not lacking, but he who restrains his
lips is wise. The tongue of the righteous is choice silver; the heart of the
wicked is worth little. The lips of the righteous feed many, but fools die for
lack of wisdom. - Proverbs 10:19-21 NKJV.
James Smith had an irritating habit - he talked
incessantly. He talked all the time; continually, even if no one was listening,
James was still talking. For those of us working with him on an oilfield crew
(In 1975), it was almost torture at times to hear the constant words flowing
from the mouth of Mr. Smith. It was especially irritating when we were driving
from one long job to another, and wanted to try to sleep, or at least rest a
little before we arrived at the new location. On one of those drives, James was
keeping us awake again, and in a two-hour period the longest break in the words
from James was for a brief 30 seconds (We timed it.).
The crew members had had it, and one morning James
received a surprise he was not expecting. Several crew members tackled James,
and with a large roll of gray tape (duct tape) taped his hands, feet and mouth.
They released James a few minutes later, but he had gotten the point, and was
much more careful about the words he spoke in the future. It was a terribly
unchristian (and illegal) thing for any friend to do, or for anyone to do to
anyone; and James if you read this I do apologize, and hope and pray all is
well in your life.
“The tongue” as we are told in the Book of James “is a fire (James 3:6).” Because the tongue is so powerful, we must be very
careful what we say and how we say it. What may sound like beautiful music to
our ears may be the scratching of fingernails on a blackboard to someone else.
Here are some things to consider before speaking. First, consider not saying
anything. Second, you do not have to tell everything you know. Solomon says in Proverbs 17:27-28, “He who has knowledge spares his words” and “Even a fool
is counted wise when he holds his peace.”
Third, you do not have to repeat everything you hear (aka gossip).
Solomon says in Proverbs 16:28, “A perverse man sows strife,
and a whisperer separates the best of friends.” He also says in Proverbs
17:9, “He who covers a transgression seeks love, but he who repeats a matter
separates friends.” More than a few lives
and careers have been destroyed by gossip. Fourth, consider carefully what you
say before you say it. Solomon says in Proverbs
18:13, “He who answers a matter before he hears it, it is folly and shame to
him.” Jumping to the wrong conclusion, and
allowing our mouths to share our conclusion with the world can cause much pain.
Here are some additional words of wisdom from Solomon
about our speech: “A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh
word stirs up anger. The tongue of the wise uses knowledge rightly, but the
mouth of fools pours forth foolishness (Proverbs 15:1-2).” “He who guards his mouth
preserves his life, but he who opens wide his lips shall have destruction
(Proverbs 13:3).” “Death and life are in the power of the tongue (Proverbs
18:21).” Remember that there is the power of life and
death in the words we say. Let us not just talk, but instead speak words of
life.
Copyright © 2002-2014. Ed
Wrather. The Burning Bush website has been online since January 31, 1998. On
June 8, 1998 the email version of the Burning Bush Devotional was first sent.
Ed Wrather began writing devotionals in the early 1990s. The distribution of
these first devotionals was primarily through the Burning Bush Newsletter sent
to prison facilities throughout the United States and Canada.
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