Proverbs 10
Bible Passage: Proverbs 10
Firstly, a million apologies for posting this very, very late…
This chapter, as with many of the other chapters in this book, is filled with several wise
sayings. And all these sayings apply to everyone in our daily lives. And as I sat here
reading this chapter, I thought to myself: What on earth should I be sharing about?
In 2010, biblereader gave a good sharing on the difference between the good and the bad
people.
In 2012, biblereadingcompanion gave an encouraging sharing on not being a disgraceful
son by doing the work of the Father.
And now, in 2014 (how nice that there are gaps of 2 years, like some trilogy), I’ll just be
sharing on another specific area…
In the multitude of words sin is not lacking, but he who restrains his lips is wise…
Biting Our Tongues
Ever been in a situation when you’re just so eager to say something, knowing that it’s
going to be coupled with lots of emotion and some not so nice words/meanings?
There are times when it becomes very irresistible to say something, especially when it
is out of anger. And although it is alright to scold someone for the right reasons, there
are times when blind rage would cause us to go on much longer than we need to, and we
might throw in a few nasty things in our speech.
There are also some people who can’t stop talking, and I’m not talking about being chatty
friendly. What I’m referring to are those who keep talking about things that ought not to
be spoken of, or just simply going beyond the limit.
Also, I might not be much of a talker, but even I’m susceptible to saying some
inappropriate stuff now and then…
The aforementioned verse says that the more we talk, the more likely we might sin with
our words. But those who can restrain his words/mouth/lips are considered wise. But
doing so isn’t easy. In James 3, it is written that the tongue cannot be tamed by man and
can be a very dangerous tool, despite its small size.
But no man can tame the tongue. It is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison…
Saying of the Wise
More often than not, it really is very difficult to keep our mouths shut. Have you ever
tried to keep silent for a day? Well, I certainly haven’t, and I think wouldn’t be able to…
But what separates those who can restrain their lips from those who cannot speak
appropriately? Wisdom, which is the name of the game in Proverbs.
Wisdom is found on the lips of him who has understanding, but a rod is for the back of
him who is devoid of understanding. Wise people store up knowledge, but the mouth of
the foolish is near destruction…
When one has wisdom, although he might speak, the content of his speech will show
that he is one with understanding and knowledge. He is careful with the words he uses.
He knows how not to provoke others to anger or even stir himself up. And he certainly
will not speak anything that would anger God. Also, when one has wisdom, he will know
when to speak and when to keep silent…
Jesus is a prime example of one who was wise with His speech. Even though others
shouted at him, insulted him or just said something plain stupid, Jesus always knew the
perfect and correct thing to reply them with, and He knew when He should speak.
We should pray for the wisdom from God to be able to control our tongues. We should
pray that He will guide our lips so that we will not say anything that leads to sin. And
we should pray that we have the inner strength to control ourselves from saying anything
when it is unnecessary to do so…
Do not be rash with your mouth, and let not your heart utter anything hastily before God.
For God is in heaven and you on earth; Therefore, let your words be few…
May our tongues be used to praise and glorify God, and not to speak poisonous words to
harm others and anger God…