Pondering Proverbs

Proverbs 15:30 Light in a messenger’s eyes brings joy to the heart, and good news gives health to the bones.

I guess we have all come across someone who, when speaking to us is anything but convincing. There is something about their demeanour, their intonation or their lack of conviction that belies the words they speak. On the other hand on occasions we sometimes meet someone whose whole presence in the way they communicate fills us with confidence.

The book of Proverbs is, in many ways, a treatise on talk. We could summarise it this way: words give life; words bring death—you choose. What does this mean? It means you have never spoken a neutral word in your life.

Our words have direction to them. If our words are moving in the life direction, they will be words of encouragement, hope, love, peace, unity, instruction, wisdom, and correction. But if our words are moving in a death direction, they will be words of anger, malice, slander, jealousy, gossip, division, contempt, racism, violence, judgment, and condemnation. Our words have direction to them.

A young woman confessed to an older man that she had a problem saying too much about people. He told her to go buy a bird and pluck out its feathers one by one as penance for her sin. When she returned and told the man that she had followed his instructions, he said, “Now go back and pick up all the feathers.” “I can’t do that,” said the girl.

“The wind has blown them in all directions.” “That is true,” said the wise man. “Neither can you recall the words that you have spoken.”

May my spoken words and unspoken thoughts be pleasing even to you, O Lord my Rock and my Redeemer. Amen