I love the story of a Greek philosopher who asked his servant to cook the best possible dish. The servant, a very wise man, prepared a plate of tongue, saying, “It’s the best of all dishes, as it reminds us that we may use the tongue to bless and express happiness, dispel sorrow, remove despair, and spread cheer.” 

 Later the servant was asked to prepare the worst possible dish. Again, he prepared a plate of tongue, saying, “It’s the worst dish, for it reminds us that we may use the tongue to curse and break hearts, destroy reputations, create strife, and set families and nations at war.” 

 We may not have to eat tongue to grasp the story’s moral, but we may have to eat our own words a few more times before we will learn to think before we speak. As mentioned last week, one of the major themes in Proverbs is our speech. In chapter 10, Solomon contrasts the wise and the foolish, stressing that our speech sets us apart.

• Verse 6: Blessings are on the head of the righteous, but the mouth of the wicked conceals violence.
• Verse 8: The wise in heart will accept and obey commands, but the babbling fool will come to ruin.
• Verse 11: The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life, and his words of wisdom are a source of blessing, but the mouth of the wicked conceals violence and evil.
• Verse 19: When there are many words, transgression and offence are unavoidable, but he who controls his lips and keeps thoughtful silence is wise. 
• Verse 20: The tongue of the righteous is like precious silver; the heart of the wicked is worth little. 
• Verse 21: The lips of the righteous feed and guide many, but fools die for lack of understanding.
• Verse 31: The mouth of the righteous flows with skilful and godly wisdom, but the perverted tongue will be cut out. 
• Verse 32: The lips of the righteous know what is acceptable, but the mouth of the wicked know what is perverted and twisted.

 Of all the above, I want to stress verse 19, where King Solomon reminds us that we will never say the wrong thing if we keep silent. In Ecclesiastes, one of Solomon’s other books, he speaks about a time to stay silent. If only we could understand that there are times when silence accomplishes more, like when we are tempted to say something critical, damaging, confidential, boastful, whiny, or patronizing. The consequences of such rash words can cause much pain, create unnecessary conflict, and even damage another’s reputation or future. But the opposite is also true, and the Bible tells us that we can accomplish much good with a kind, thoughtful, and wise word — blessing and building others up with encouraging words instead of tearing them down. 

 GRACE CHALLENGE FOR THE WEEK: Paul, in his letter to the Ephesians, reminds them not to let unwholesome words come out of their mouths, but only such speech as is good for building others up, according to the need and the occasion so that it will be a blessing to those who hear them speak. In his letter to the Colossians, he wrote: Let your speech at all times be gracious and pleasant, seasoned with salt, so that you will know how to answer each one who questions you. I have sadly not been big on scripture memorization, but these two verses are some of the few that I committed to memory many years ago and often re-visit. While I am far from perfect in this regard, it is my prayer that we can hold each other accountable and be more grace-awakened in our conversations this week.

One of the greatest spies of all time, Kim Philby, betrayed British secrets to the KGB for more than thirty years. This earned him the name “the Napoleon of deception, the greatest mole of them all.” A New York Times editorial said of Philby and his fellow double agents, “Beyond information, their greatest service to Moscow was to spread the poison of suspicion, setting ally against ally.”

 Although the book of Proverbs becomes mostly a collection of individual sayings from chapter 10 onwards, there are still a few running themes we should notice. One of them that features prominently in today’s chapter and our opening story is the power of words and control of the tongue. A few chapters back, I skipped over the seven abominations the Lord hates. The list starts with “a proud look” and concludes with “one who sows discord among brethren.” Between those two are five other acts of betrayal, and each time another member of the body is involved. This is succinctly addressed in Eugene Peterson’s The Message: 

eyes that are arrogant,

a tongue that lies,

hands that murder the innocent, 

a heart that hatches evil plots, 

feet that race down a wicked track,

a mouth that lies under oath,

a troublemaker in the family.   

 Words cut deep. They can be cruel, clumsy, and careless — as far too many of us know- affecting self-esteem and bodily health. While a timely word can have an enormously positive effect, the opposite is also true. Like a prairie fire, it can cause strife, discord, and division. These sins of speech include subtle hints, suggestions, and innuendoes. 

 While Solomon wrote in chapter 10:19, “He who restrains his lips is wise,”; James said, “No man can tame the tongue. It is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the likeness of God.”  If we think that Christians do the blessing and non-Christians do the cursing, we must remember that James was writing to Christians. 

 According to David Pawson, four categories of words should be on a Christian’s lips[1]: 

• Honest words — the straightforward ‘yes’ or ‘no.’
• Few words — the less said, the better.
• Calm words should be spoken from a cool spirit, as a hot temper is rarely beneficial.
• Apt words — a word matched to the occasion, shaped for the benefit of the hearer or reader, can bring great joy.

 GRACE CHALLENGE FOR THE WEEK: Speech, as listed here by David Pawson, needs time for reflection. At the same time, it reflects the heart where the words originate. Thus, it gives us a glimpse of a person’s character. Imagine a person’s words are worth what he or she is worth. As such, may we overflow with words of encouragement and love that will benefit and bless all who come into contact with us this week! 

  [1] Unlocking the Bible, pg 396, 397

Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one! You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates. Deuteronomy 6: 4 – 9

 Known as the Shema, this prayer has been one of the most influential traditions in Jewish history and is recited even today, every morning and every evening. It gets its name from the first Hebrew word of the prayer — “hear” or “listen,” a translation of the Hebrew word Shema. 

 To understand the prayer more fully, we need to understand the context better. In this opening session of Deuteronomy, Moses addresses the new generation of Israel as they prepare to enter the promised land. He urges them not to repeat the mistakes of their parent’s generation, wanting them to experience the full blessing of the promised land. For this reason, the prayer continues to show the value of passing this conviction on to later generations to spare them the tragic results of idolatry to other gods. 

 King Solomon’s command in Proverbs 6:20, 21 to keep the commands of our fathers and not forsake the teachings of our mother, but to bind them always on our heart and fasten them around our neck is a clear reference to Deuteronomy. As hearing and doing are the same in Hebrew, you can imagine the power of putting commands into practice. 

 Sadly, when the Pharisees read these verses, they took it literally and created a small leather case containing four portions of the Old Testament written on parchment. They called them phylacteries – a word that comes from the Greek and means “to watch over, to safeguard.” They believed that wearing God’s Word like an amulet would protect them from evil, but this practice is not what either Moses or Solomon meant when they commanded the people to bind them as a sign on their hand or to bind them always to their hearts.  

 As Christians, we understand that we bind God’s word to our hearts and teach them to our children by reading the Scriptures, meditating upon them, memorizing them and putting them into practice in our homes, implementing them in our varied relationships and living them out in the presence of our colleagues at work and strangers we meet. 

 This command includes disciplining our children when necessary. Proverbs teach that children are naturally foolish and need encouragement to be wise. This is diametrically opposed to today’s humanistic philosophy that says a child is basically good and will turn out well if given the right environment. Yet, the truth is that we need to train children to make wise choices from an early age, actively fostering healthy habits so that they will think and act in ways that will honour God, bring joy to their parents, and blessing to their own lives. 

 I love how the Message translates verses 21 – 23 Good friend, follow your Father’s good advice; don’t wander off from your mother’s teachings. Wrap yourself in them from head to foot; wear them like a scarf around your neck. Wherever you walk, they’ll guide you; whenever you rest, they’ll guard you; when you wake up, they’ll tell you what’s next. For sound advice is a beacon, good teaching is a light, moral discipline is a life path. 

 GRACE CHALLENGE FOR THIS WEEK: I don’t know about you, but the idea that hearing and doing are the same thing in Hebrew confronted me in a completely new way today. Therefore, shall we take a moment and consider anew how quickly and how obediently we implement our Father’s words and commands in our lives, our families, and our ministries?

Below is an excerpt from a letter from a South African family who emigrated to Portugal and then to Scotland. They have been keeping friends and loved ones enthralled by their unusual adventures, adaptability to foreign cultures, new languages, and rich experiences. In an age where old-fashioned letter writing is a lost art, I find their updates in my inbox a welcome relief from all that is forever urgent! Here Felicity is sharing a snippet of her precious life before the Lord came to fetch her!

 What I had wanted to say when writing to you, is that my days are made up of many small things. I am knitting socks for myself, I play the piano and I do my Joe Wick exercises each day. I do a little housework in the house and the equivalent in the garden, sweeping, weeding and tidying up. Shopping when needed and the making of meals. Helping with the washing. 

 There are lots of small activities to keep me well occupied and though all appear individual, we are asked in Zechariah 4:10 Who has despised the day of small things?

 He was of course referring to the temple that was being built that was much smaller than Solomon’s temple. The daily activities are small, but one day I will have another completed pair of socks, the piano playing improves day by day, I am very fit with the exercises, and the house is tidy and clean, and the garden keeps improving. 

 In light of our focus this week on Solomon’s warnings to the lazy man, “How long will you lie there, you sluggard? When will you get up from your sleep?” Felicity’s simple daily routines during a difficult phase deeply challenged me. 

 It must be noted that throughout Proverbs, hard work and diligence are paired with wisdom, understanding, and humility; while laziness or slothfulness are paired with foolishness, ignorance, and pride. The message is clear and universal: the diligent get the job done while the lazy are empty talkers. This self-discipline of the ant — for they have “no captain, overseer or ruler” — and their proactive approach to life (gathering supplies in the summer) earns them the praise of Solomon, an industrious man himself! 

 Unfortunately, there are all sorts of fallacies about work these days. While some worship their work, often driven by greed, others are lazy couch potatoes, trying to get away with doing the minimum. For this reason, I want to take us back to Genesis 1, for the first work done on earth was done by God. He took pleasure in the outcome of his activity, for He stopped each day to assess the quality of his work — declaring every time that it was good. Then God did something else — He instituted work. The Bible says, “God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.”[1] Remember, this was prior to the Fall!  

 Similarly, Paul encourages us in his letter to the Colossians that “whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.”[2] In other words, we are accountable to God and stewards of the gifts He has given us. As such, our work should flow to Him from grateful hearts.

 GRACE CHALLENGE FOR THE WEEK: May God help us steer clear of the many pitfalls associated with work, for workaholism and laziness are strategies from the enemy. In both cases, there is a lack of self-discipline. It is, therefore, essential to go back to the Bible, for while we are called to be wise stewards of God’s provisions, we are also expected to rest in the promise of His care – for your heavenly Father knows that you need them. [3] May God help us to distinguish between our ‘wants’ and our ‘needs.’