PROVERBS 10
19 When words are many, transgression is not lacking,
but whoever restrains his lips is prudent.
20 The tongue of the righteous is choice silver;
the heart of the wicked is of little worth.
21 The lips of the righteous feed many,
but fools die for lack of sense.
22 The blessing of the Lord makes rich,
and he adds no sorrow with it.
23 Doing wrong is like a joke to a fool,
but wisdom is pleasure to a man of understanding.
24 What the wicked dreads will come upon him,
but the desire of the righteous will be granted.
– Proverbs 10:19-24
PROVERBS 10 ON GUARDING ONE’S MOUTH
A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses
When we open our mouth to say something
We must be concise and use less words when speaking
The more words we use, the more occasion to be sinning
The righteous person guards his mouth and restrains it
The mouth of the righteous benefits others and make sense
Those who are foolish destroy others for they speak lies.
It is a challenge to guard our mouths. In the book of James, we are cautioned about the tongue which is a very small part of our body but can create much good or havoc in our lives. In chapter 3 James compares the tongue to a rudder of a ship and also to a small fire. As a rudder, it leads a very big ship and guides and directs it wherever the ship goes. As a small fire, it can set a whole forest ablaze. It is a very small member but it boasts of many things. Solomon speaks about the importance of guarding our mouths because it can either lead us and others to sin. The more we talk, the more we open doors for the enemy to twist our words. He suggests being prudent and concise with our words.
REFLECTION
· How can many words lead us to sin?
