The best time of year to enjoy some of the fruits of the season varies, doesn't it? The melons are juicy and sweet in summer, but almost non-existent in winter. The grapes are colorful and tasty right from the vines during summer. The strawberries boast luscious enjoyment and a sweet scent, but come fall and winter, they just don't taste the same. Fruit has a way of satisfying our senses - both internally (our taste buds) and externally (sight and smell). There is another kind of fruit we might enjoy a little better if we realized we might just "eat it" at a later time! The fruit I refer to is our words - they can be satisfying in season, not so sweet out of season, and sometimes totally non-existent!
Words satisfy the mind as much as fruit does the stomach; good talk is as gratifying as a good harvest. Words kill, words give life; they're either poison or fruit—you choose. (Proverbs 18:20-21)
Good talk - fruit for our souls, nourishment for our minds, and health for our bodies. Now, there is a harvest we could find benefit in! We all have experienced the times when we say something without thinking, or get caught up in responding before we really take time to listen. The end result is usually some form of words that could seem a little "bitter" and with a tendency to "repeat" on themselves!
Words satisfy the mind as much as fruit does the stomach; good talk is as gratifying as a good harvest. Words kill, words give life; they're either poison or fruit—you choose. (Proverbs 18:20-21)
Good talk - fruit for our souls, nourishment for our minds, and health for our bodies. Now, there is a harvest we could find benefit in! We all have experienced the times when we say something without thinking, or get caught up in responding before we really take time to listen. The end result is usually some form of words that could seem a little "bitter" and with a tendency to "repeat" on themselves!
Truthfully, words are either poison or fruit - the choice is ours! We have a choice about the words we speak as much as the words we DON'T speak. Words have much more power than we give them credit for - like fruit fueling our bodies - words can do things like fuel our worries and ignite our frustrations!
Words produce a harvest, in season and out.
Those spoken without thought are equated to those words spoken from the mouth of a fool. "Fools care nothing for thoughtful discourse; all they do is run off at the mouth." (vs. 2) Words often show just how much judgment a person exercises! A fool is one who lacks judgment - therefore, when words are spoken without prior thought, they are equated to being "foolish". Those coming from an inner place of rest and peace are often equated to being as refreshing as an artesian well in the middle of a hot desert. "Many words rush along like rivers in flood, but deep wisdom flows up from artesian springs." (vs. 4) I had to look up what an artesian well really was because we don't have them in my neck of the woods. An artesian well is first of all covered by impermeable rock. The water that rises from this well comes forth "under pressure" - it rises to the surface because their is pressure exerted that lifts it to the surface. The water finds a path of release. It seems to defy gravity. There is no need to manually bring it to the surface, as with a traditional well. In fact, it passes through so many filters, it is very sweet when it comes forth! When we allow time for the "pressures" to give rise to the words through a path which seems impenetrable, there is an opportunity for them to pass through the filters which might just purify them a little more!
Those of us who speak first and think later often would do better with a gag in our mouths! "The words of a fool start fights; do him a favor and gag him." (vs.6) Wouldn't it be nice to have an invisible hand placed over our mouths whenever we would begin to speak something unwholesome, or cutting? Well, guess what? We have such a "gag" at our disposal - he is called the Holy Spirit! People who speak before listening produce "sourness" much like we experience when we bite into fruit that has not fully ripened. "Answering before listening is both stupid and rude." (vs. 13) We have a tendency to jump to conclusions - don't we? We want to jump in with both feet - sometimes into issues that are not our responsibility, or will not be benefited by our involvement. It is both stupid and rude to just jump in. Okay...I used the "s" word! It really speaks volumes here. It means to be mentally dull, foolish, and senseless! Words that don't have much prior thought often reflect just how "dull" we can be in our thinking. Words spoken in haste are indeed foolish - they bring out our worst, not our best. Words that are without some kind of "covering" are indeed senseless!
We choose the harvest that is produced - we choose our words. We can allow pressures to create some supernatural filters in our lives, so words take some time to get to the surface, or we can give full vent to them with the dullness and senselessness of a fool. The choice of our words determines the enjoyment (or misery) of the harvest! Just sayin!
Words produce a harvest, in season and out.
Those spoken without thought are equated to those words spoken from the mouth of a fool. "Fools care nothing for thoughtful discourse; all they do is run off at the mouth." (vs. 2) Words often show just how much judgment a person exercises! A fool is one who lacks judgment - therefore, when words are spoken without prior thought, they are equated to being "foolish". Those coming from an inner place of rest and peace are often equated to being as refreshing as an artesian well in the middle of a hot desert. "Many words rush along like rivers in flood, but deep wisdom flows up from artesian springs." (vs. 4) I had to look up what an artesian well really was because we don't have them in my neck of the woods. An artesian well is first of all covered by impermeable rock. The water that rises from this well comes forth "under pressure" - it rises to the surface because their is pressure exerted that lifts it to the surface. The water finds a path of release. It seems to defy gravity. There is no need to manually bring it to the surface, as with a traditional well. In fact, it passes through so many filters, it is very sweet when it comes forth! When we allow time for the "pressures" to give rise to the words through a path which seems impenetrable, there is an opportunity for them to pass through the filters which might just purify them a little more!
Those of us who speak first and think later often would do better with a gag in our mouths! "The words of a fool start fights; do him a favor and gag him." (vs.6) Wouldn't it be nice to have an invisible hand placed over our mouths whenever we would begin to speak something unwholesome, or cutting? Well, guess what? We have such a "gag" at our disposal - he is called the Holy Spirit! People who speak before listening produce "sourness" much like we experience when we bite into fruit that has not fully ripened. "Answering before listening is both stupid and rude." (vs. 13) We have a tendency to jump to conclusions - don't we? We want to jump in with both feet - sometimes into issues that are not our responsibility, or will not be benefited by our involvement. It is both stupid and rude to just jump in. Okay...I used the "s" word! It really speaks volumes here. It means to be mentally dull, foolish, and senseless! Words that don't have much prior thought often reflect just how "dull" we can be in our thinking. Words spoken in haste are indeed foolish - they bring out our worst, not our best. Words that are without some kind of "covering" are indeed senseless!
We choose the harvest that is produced - we choose our words. We can allow pressures to create some supernatural filters in our lives, so words take some time to get to the surface, or we can give full vent to them with the dullness and senselessness of a fool. The choice of our words determines the enjoyment (or misery) of the harvest! Just sayin!
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