Divine Wisdom for Daily Living by Joanne Colvin

“Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice.” (Ephesians 4:29-31)

The Oxford Online Dictionary defines gossip as “casual or unconstrained conversation or reports about other people, typically involving details which are not confirmed as true.” A gossip is someone who “likes talking about other people’s private lives.” Gossiping is common in neighborhood groups, among friends, in bridge clubs, with co-workers, golf buddies, or any close-knit group of people including extended family and church congregations. Recognizing gossip isn’t very hard, but resisting it is difficult because it involves disapproval of what others are doing, while they are doing it.

Slander takes gossip to the next level, being “a false and malicious statement damaging a person’s reputation” (Oxford Online Dictionary). People may claim they have no evil intention toward a person when they gossip, but slander is intentionally evil. Both are the corrupt talk forbidden in Ephesians 4:29. Both gossip and slander are the sinful fruit of unbelief as described by Paul in Romans 1:28-30 “Since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done. They were filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice…They are gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless.” (Romans 1:28-31)

Our speech should be “building up… giving grace to those who hear.” Ephesians 4 gives us a very convicting reason to refrain from these: corrupt talk grieves the third person of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit. John Gill comments: “Not a believer’s own spirit, sanctified by the Holy Ghost, which is grieved by sin; nor the spirit of a good man, that hears our words and sees our actions, and is displeased and troubled at them; but the third person in the Trinity: and this is said of him…is offensive to him; and he may be grieved, not only by unconverted persons, by their stubborn resistance and opposition to the Gospel and means of grace, and by their contempt of his person, office, and grace, but by believers themselves, and who are here spoken to.” * The seriousness of grieving God with our words should bring deep conviction when we are tempted to speak ill of others, or listen to others gossiping. And it is a very short leap from gossip to slander, which murders the reputations of others.

We have more than enough reason to refrain from gossip and work on building up our brothers and sisters in Christ today.

* John Gill’s Commentary on the Bible, Ephesians 4:30,  https://www.biblestudytools.com/commentaries/gills-exposition-of-the-bible/ephesians-4-30.html

 

“A false witness will not go unpunished, and he who breathes out lies will not escape…A lying tongue hates its victims, and a flattering mouth works ruin.” (Proverbs 19:5; 26:28)

A good friend of mine was embarrassed by a Mother’s Day card she received from a relative expounding all her virtues as a mother. Since my friend is a remarkable, virtuous woman, the card (which I did not see) probably hit the mark. However, I often have trouble finding greeting cards that restrain themselves to the occasion, instead of effusive flattery. We all know we’re not supposed to lie, but many of us do not know that flattery is also sinful.

David wrote, “Save, O LORD, for the godly one is gone; for the faithful have vanished from among the children of man. Everyone utters lies to his neighbor; with flattering lips and a double heart they speak. May the LORD cut off all flattering lips, the tongue that makes great boasts, those who say, ‘With our tongue we will prevail, our lips are with us; who is master over us?’” (Psalm 12:1-4)

Have you ever wondered why lying is a sin? The short answer is: because God said so. God is perfectly truthful one-hundred percent of the time. He does not need to lie to anyone to have an advantage or to protect himself, which are two specific reasons why we lie. But Satan “was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies. But because I tell the truth, you do not believe me.” (John 8:44-45) When we lie, for any reason, we are aligning ourselves with the devil; when we tell the truth, we are uniting our will with God’s. When we lie to ourselves, it’s impossible to be truthful with others; we’re being honest about what we believe, but what we believe is a lie. Lying can be subtle or blatant, but it’s always tricky and destabilizing, for the liar and those hearing the lies. “Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator.”(Colossians 3:9-10)

Flattery is insincere praise given to benefit the flatterer; it is lying to someone for your own purposes. Edmond Burke was right when he said, “Flattery corrupts both the giver and the receiver.” “Flatter and insults raise the same question: What do you want?” (Mason Cooley) If you want to praise someone, do so; if you want to inflate them, flatter them. Those who are proud will inhale flattery and become even more puffed up. The humble, like my friend, are very uncomfortable with it, knowing that it comes with this danger of making us proud and self-important.

Today, you and I will have opportunities to speak truthfully or dishonestly, with appreciation or with flattery. I’m going to ask the Lord to “…remove far from me falsehood and lying” (Proverbs 30:8). What about you?

 

“The ruler of the synagogue, indignant because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath, said to the people, “There are six days in which work ought to be done. Come on those days and be healed, and not on the Sabbath day.” Then the Lord answered him, “You hypocrites! Does not each of you on the Sabbath untie his ox or his donkey from the manger and lead it away to water it? And ought not this woman, a daughter of Abraham whom Satan bound for eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath day?” (Luke 13:14-16)

Over the next five days we will examine seven common, dangerous problems with our speech: hypocritical words, lies, flattery, gossip and slander, stirring up anger and provoking conflict. We’ll start with hypocritical words. It seems that no one likes hypocrites, including hypocrites themselves. Hypocrisy is a sin in God’s eyes, which means that it is a sin for believers. Saying what people want to hear instead of saying what we believe—this is the most basic form of pretense. Many of us are guilty of hiding behind a façade of conformity to be comfortable from time to time. Doing this continually becomes hypocrisy. Acting as if we want to do something or care about someone when we don’t is a common failure among people. Christians should recognize this experience as the pressure to fit in for the approval from others, which leads to a pattern of hypocrisy. “When you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others.” (Matthew 6:5) These were the men who claimed to have the most serious religion, but they were insincere—it was all for show. If we find ourselves doing this we are to confess and repent and ask God to help us see the root of our inconsistency.

Hypocrites are those who are not self-deceived but those who know what they are doing, and that what they are doing is an act. But our language and conduct are to be separate or detached, as if we can be divided into one-part secular and one-part spiritual. All the aspects of our lives, personalities, and character are interrelated and reflect our beliefs. Hypocrisy usually shows itself in words vs. conduct—that is, our words are not consistent with our behavior. An alcoholic says he is fighting his addiction but then you see him in a bar, having a drink with others, with no intention of leaving this place of temptation. One of the easiest ways to become a hypocrite is to stay close to the very temptations that we say we need to resist. Keep in mind that Eve was close enough to the tree of knowledge to pick its fruit when the serpent tempted her. Perhaps she could have resisted, had she been on the other side of the garden. The Pharisees continued to meet and plot against Jesus while acting as if they had the closest relationship with God. Jesus said, “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you build the tombs of the prophets and decorate the monuments of the righteous, saying, ‘If we had lived in the days of our fathers, we would not have taken part with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.’” (Matthew 23:29-30)

In what area or with what people do you tend topretend to be something you are not? Do your words match your actions and beliefs? Is not, why not?  Do your words reflect your desire to be an honest sinner instead of a skilled hypocrite?

“Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger…If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person’s religion is worthless.” (James 1:19, 26)

Prepare yourselves for another medical illustration. Like other patients, I have known for years that I need knee replacement surgery; my doctor showed me old and recent x-rays of my knees. He explained the benefits of the operation and the changes I will experience, as well as what recovery will entail. I imagine that for most patients that will do, but not for me. Last night I watched a YouTube video on the surgery with the orthopedist explaining the procedure as he cut, sawed, and drilled. (Sorry for the spoiler, that’s as graphic as I’ll get.) It is an entirely different matter to see the work being done on someone’s knee. I definitely know how to pray now, and don’t recommend this for the squeamish.

We have been considering the importance and influence of our words for weeks. Now it is time to get to some specific, gruesome problems of the tongue. Of all the books of the Bible, James is the most direct about our issues with it. “The tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness” (James 3:6). Our diseased hearts and sin natures are the sources of our tongue-troubles. It is crucial for us to know the condition and desires of our hearts because whatever is in them will saunter (or run) out our mouths. We frequently think we have something more important and better to say than others. We don’t put a guard on our mouths, as if they’re just fine, but we know they’re not. Trying to control our speech by mere human effort and determination legalistically may help us temporarily, but without a change in our hearts’ inclinations or desires, our speech will eventually either revert back to old patterns or be hypocritical and shallow. In spite of knowing all this the voice we like the best is our own.

In the first chapter of James the apostle offers us a way to approach the use of our tongue if we want to be honest with ourselves. He writes, “be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger”—listen quickly and talk slowly. Easier said than done, isn’t it? Have you ever practiced doing this? A good place to do so is in meetings and classrooms, where there are plenty of other people talking to give one a chance to think wisely before saying anything, choosing to listen to others instead. After practicing in these venues, it is easier to practice this advice in one-to-one conversations on the phone, rather than in person, which is probably the hardest time to guard our mouths. Social media is another good place to practice, we will rarely get in trouble by staying quiet, by not writing or reacting to something.

If you have a dog that likes to run away, and can’t find its way back home, would you leave the gate open all the time? And if you did leave the gate open, would you justify this to yourself, as if it makes sense, considering yourself an expert in pet management? Of course not! Yet, this is what we do with our tongues, giving them free reign, deceiving ourselves, and acting as if we are genuinely spiritual (humble, compassionate, merciful, and righteous). Shame on us.

“O God, from my youth you have taught me, and I still proclaim your wondrous deeds. So even to old age and gray hairs, O God, do not forsake me, until I proclaim your might to another generation, your power to all those to come.” (Psalm 71:17-18)

On Mother’s Day sermons about being obedient to and thankful for your mother will abound, as they should. We are seldom as grateful as we should be for the sacrificial love that our mothers gave to us, and our children are often not as thankful as they should be. However, there is One who deserves our thanks more than our mothers or us—the Lord Jesus Christ who makes women mothers and places the orphans in families. As an older single Christian, I am especially aware of the way God raises up mothers for the childless and gives single women chances to express their motherly instincts. The Lord gave me many opportunities to show maternal love to children when I was serving with The Rafiki Foundation in Africa. I appreciated the fact that I never had delusions that the children “belonged” to me, a common challenge for parents. Since children never “belong” to us, however, should we expect them to praise God or us? Let us hope they glorify their heavenly Father more.

This Mother’s Day I want to turn the tables. Let’s embrace the call of Psalm 71 for us older Christians—to follow the example of the psalmist who still proclaims God’s deeds, might, and power to the younger generation, and wants to continue doing so.  Rather than focus on what might be said to or about us, let us use our tongues to give God the praise and glory he deserves for helping us to minister to younger Christians in our lives. Have you been taught from your youth, enabling you to teach your children and grandchildren? Praise God by telling them what he has done for you this Mother’s Day. Did God fortify you physically or spiritually when you were at the end of your strength? Share these stories with your family, to build them up in the faith.

There was probably a time when you were lost and confused in unbelief. But God adopted you, humbled you in your sin, and gave you the faith to believe in the sacrificial atoning death of Jesus Christ. Will you share your testimony with others today, rejoicing in the motherly love of our God, who wants to shelter us under his wings? (Psalm 36:7) Each day offers us many opportunities to speak wisely by praising God. Family get-togethers, when you may be the one being honored is a perfect time to turn everyone’s attention to Jesus Christ. “Those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the sky above; and those who turn many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever.” (Daniel 12:3)

How will you share today as you celebrate Mother’s Day? Will your words reflect the wisdom of the psalms? “Come and hear, all you who fear God, and I will tell [you] what he has done for my soul.” (Psalms 66:16)

 

“Reprove a wise man, and he will love you. Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be still wiser; teach a righteous man, and he will increase in learning…Like a gold ring or an ornament of gold is a wise reprover to a listening ear.” (Proverbs 9:9; 25:12)

I find myself a little surprised to be writing about reproofs again, but maybe it is because I imagine that today, the day before Mother’s Day, mothers are instructing their sons (and daughters) to remember them as they want to be remembered one day when they have children. Well, maybe you mothers aren’t saying anything out loud, but you’re thinking it! And your children will be wiser for your reproof, considering you precious like a gold ring or an ornament of gold. You are thinking, “Oh, wouldn’t that be nice!” But the Bible says it’s true, and I believe it.

The catch is that the person we reprove, who will love us and learn is already wise. The teachable among us like to be taught and never stop learning. For example, those who already have a good grasp of the gospel of Jesus Christ usually desire to grow in a deeper understanding of Christ’s sacrificial death and resurrection. “For to the one who has, more will be given, and he will have an abundance, but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away.” (Matthew 13:12) Those who love Christ and who appreciate God’s grace will receive more illumination of the Scriptures by the Holy Spirit. Those who seem to have some belief and understanding but haven’t been regenerated only look as if they have by their profession. They don’t see a need the work of the Spirit, and consequently they will not receive saving grace, being content to justify themselves, as did the Pharisees in Jesus’s time. We are to teach and reprove those who love the Lord, not to try to provide further wisdom to those who don’t already have some (which is impossible anyway). First, friends, relatives, neighbors, and coworkers need to hear the foundational doctrines of the gospel, which is like seed sown on good soil, a great pearl, or buried treasure (Matthew 13:23, 44-46).

Reproof for a wise Christian is like a gold ring or ornament. A wise person will only reprove another at the right time, with love and sensitivity, in faith and grace, letting the gospel direct his or her words. A wise listener immediately sends up a prayer for an open heart and mind, for a quickening of the Spirit, and a desire to learn, growing in wisdom by trusting the person giving the correction. Both roles take a lot of practice and are never comfortable. We must prayer and engage in self-examination before we reprove others, lest we are blinded to our own need for reproof like Job’s friends. To them, Job said, “Teach me, and I will be silent; make me understand how I have gone astray. How forceful are upright words! But what does reproof from you reprove? Do you think that you can reprove words, when the speech of a despairing man is wind?” (Job 6:24-26)

“Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent.” (Revelation 3:19)

“Do not say to your neighbor, ‘Go, and come again, tomorrow I will give it’—when you have it with you. Do not plan evil against your neighbor, who dwells trustingly beside you. Do not contend with a man for no reason, when he has done you no harm.” (Proverbs 3:28-30)

Today at an appointment with one of my favorite Christian doctors I shared with him about the goodness of God in answering my prayer and those of my friends to have my knee replacement surgery scheduled sooner rather than later. My physician and I rejoiced in the providence and grace of God. Then, because it was the end of the day, my doctor shared a beautiful account of a time when he felt compelled to pray for a patient for whom he thought he could do nothing more. (Aren’t humble, vulnerable physicians wonderful?) He hesitated to pray with her because in all their time together over the years they had never discussed spiritual matters. After feeling prompted a second time, he asked, she agreed most positively, and he prayed. Just a few weeks later she came to his office to show him something she had found in a book, about the importance of a physician praying for his patient, lest there be something the doctor could have done but neglected to do. I couldn’t think of a better illustration for Proverbs 3:28 (and the Lord provided it through a very ordinary human experience of a pre-op EKG appointment).

We are often easily given to blurting out the easiest and most convenient response to a person’s request. Other times we quickly and enthusiastically provide the answer we think will be most agreeable or expected. Our answers could be either yes or not but should be well-considered rather than a bunch of words tumbling out of our mouths. If we can help someone we should; if we can’t, we shouldn’t. Carefully thought-out words from a sincere heart are always welcome by real friends. In this way we can prove that we want to do good, not evil, to our neighbors, faithfully following Jesus’s and James’s instructions. “If anyone would sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. And if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. Give to the one who begs from you, and do not refuse the one who would borrow from you” (Matthew 5:40-42). “…Do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or by any other oath, but let your “yes” be yes and your “no” be no” (James 5:12).

Solomon further advises us, in verse 30, to leave well-enough alone. Whereas Jesus instructs us to love our enemies (Matthew 5:40-42), here is someone who hasn’t harmed us. Let’s not start arguments merely to prove ourselves expert in the skill of arguing over nothing. A week ago, I was driving through my compound’s parking lot and was about to turn into my section when I realized a woman was walking across the street. We both stopped. I waved her on, and she waved me on. I thought it would better for her to continue as she had already started across the street and it was hot outside. This seemed logical to me, being in an airconditioned car, and used to living in countries where pedestrians have the right-of-way. However, she was quite annoyed with me for hesitating and finally insisted that I go first. Next time, I will definitely proceed if she waves me across. Unfortunately, although I was calm, I was not as Christ-like as I would have wished when we exchanged greetings in the road.

Will you think about the conversations you had yesterday or the day before, asking God for the opportunity to reconsider your words to those who deserve your best love?

“Whoever guards his mouth preserves his life; he who opens wide his lips comes to ruin… A fool’s lips walk into a fight, and his mouth invites a beating. A fool’s mouth is his ruin, and his lips are a snare to his soul…Whoever keeps his mouth and his tongue keeps himself out of trouble.” (Proverbs 13:3; 18:6-7; 21:23)

We live in a world where language is constantly in flux and people under the age of twenty-five seem to use new words every day. It does not follow, however, that words are any less important than they used to be. Our choice of words says as much, if not more about us today as ever. I regret the times when I say, “Yeah” instead of “Yes,” because the former is rough and can be condescending, whereas “Yes” is definite, acceptable to everyone, and easier to hear by those with hearing difficulties.

In our passage, I happened upon a four-verse sandwich. In the Proverbs 13 and 21 verses we are taught that those who are careful with their mouths are more secure and safe (preserves his life and stays out of trouble). In the Proverbs 18 verses (and 13:3b) the writer exposes the consequences of fools’ words: they get them into fights, invite beatings, ruin them, and endanger their souls. And the way we talk matters as much as what we say. We know that this is not a new concept because there are plenty of saints in the Bible who were concerned about their manner of speaking, including Moses and Paul (Exodus 4:10; 1 Corinthians 2:1-5). But before we speak, how shall we determine if we should speak at all, or how much is appropriate? Less is better according to these verses.

There are some ways in which all Christians should guard our mouths. For example, we should not misuse God’s name by using the acronym OMG or the longer version. (Please forgive me for writing it here; I couldn’t think of any other way to describe this specific problem.) I am offended by the use of this phrase, as is God. Wise people think about the consequences of what they are about to do. If I don’t ask for a raise, I may be passed over again and have to wait another year before talking with my boss. If I ask and she is annoyed, she may refuse to hear my request for a long time to come. What do I do? If I ask for a raise because I do not trust God to work on my behalf, I may not be trusting in God’s faithfulness and care. If I refrain from asking for a raise because I am afraid of the power my boss has over me, I may be idolizing her and giving her more power that I should. It’s complicated.

What is the wise person to do? Let’s start with asking ourselves, “Will voicing this please God or offend him?” and go from there.

“The mouth of the righteous brings forth wisdom, but the perverse tongue will be cut off. The lips of the righteous know what is acceptable, but the mouth of the wicked, what is perverse.” (Proverbs 10:31-32)

A mother cautions her child twice before going to school, “Don’t forget to bring your textbooks home to do your homework.” She repeats her reminder to emphasize the importance of it. A teacher tells a class three times that sometime this week there will be a pop quiz, so his students will be ready for it when it comes. God repeats his precepts in Scripture to emphasize the importance of them. In Proverbs 10:31-32, the wise person’s mouth and lips are righteous and the fool’s tongue and mouth are perverse. Verses 20-21 of the same chapter seem to be bookends with verses 31-32: “The tongue of the righteous is choice silver; the heart of the wicked is of little worth. The lips of the righteous feed many, but fools die for lack of sense.” Combining all four verses the tongue, mouth, and lips of the righteous are valuable, feed many, bring forth wisdom as fruit, and know what is acceptable—because they are belong to the believer who loves God.

Perversity is the opposite of wisdom. According to the dictionary in Word perversity means “showing a deliberate and obstinate desire to behave in a way that is unreasonable or unacceptable, often in spite of the consequences.”Synonyms for perversity includes deviant, irrational, and rebellious. A perverse person goes against God; a wise person submits to God’s authority and desires, agreeing with God. The mouth, tongue, and lips are the gateway of the truth emanating from our hearts; whatever we believe and desire in our hearts will make its way through these orifices eventually.

The most poignant specimen of an obdurate individual is the prophet Balaam. (See Numbers 22.) In summary, King Balak of Moab commanded Balaam to curse Israel. Balaam should have immediately refused, but instead told Balak’s messengers to stay overnight while he inquired of the Lord. Then he did refuse. So Balak sent more lofty princes, promising Balaam “great honor” if he were to agree to their request. Again, Balaam should have refused, knowing that God did not want him to curse Israel. However, Balaam told the men to stay overnight once again, hinting that all the silver and gold in the king’s palace could not convince him to curse Israel (vs. 15-18). Balaam’s behavior was hypocritical and perverse, acting as if he were refusing but all the while holding out for the best profit.

While it may seem hard to understand why God told Balaam not to submit to King Balak’s request and then told him to go with the men, we know the end of the story. Sometimes God’s uses our sin for his glory. God used a donkey to open Balaam’s eyes to the angel of the Lord who confronted him. “And the angel of the Lord said to him…Behold, I have come out to oppose you because your way is perverse before me… Then Balaam said to the angel of the Lord, ‘I have sinned, for I did not know that you stood in the road against me” (vs. 32, 34). In the end God was glorified because Balaam was compelled to bless, not curse Israel. Godly wisdom always overcomes perversity.

How will God be glorified through your lips, tongue, and mouth today? Let us not think we can “get away with” the appearance of wisdom, but truly align our hearts with God’s. Our speech will follow, bringing forth righteous fruit.

“Whoever gives thought to the word will discover good, and blessed is he who trusts in the Lord. The wise of heart is called discerning, and sweetness of speech increases persuasiveness. Good sense is a fountain of life to him who has it, but the instruction of fools is folly. The heart of the wise makes his speech judicious and adds persuasiveness to his lips. Gracious words are like a honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and health to the body.” (Proverbs 16:20-24)

Starting from the end of our passage, verse 24 contains a word picture of gracious words being sweet like honey for the soul, providing physical health. Other Scripture passages refer to God’s words as those which are sweet. “More to be desired are [the rules of the Lord] than gold, even much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and drippings of the honeycomb.” (Psalm 19:10) “How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth!” (Psalm 119:103) Whether or not we like honey, we know it is exceedingly sweet. It is also acclaimed to have many healing properties. (See March 10 devotion.) This verse is the pinnacle of the writer’s admonitions about gracious words, deliberate thoughts, and biblical wisdom.

He starts out in verse 20 by stating a biblical maxim: whoever pays attention to his words, or God’s Word, will be blessed. From what I have read, the “word” can be taken either way—of ours or God’s. When we are wise, we pay attention to both, trusting in God as we study the Bible and as we speak with others. Furthermore, those who wisely fear God are given discernment and the ability to persuade others about the truths of Scripture when our speech is sweet to the hearer (like honey to the soul). So far, the writer has given us four characteristics or wisdom with their benefits in verses 20 and 21: (1) thinking before we talk will lead to what is good; (2) trusting in God as we do so will result in blessing; (3) the wise are given discernment (to know what is true); and (4) when we are wise our speed is sweet and persuasive.

In verses 22 and 23 we learn that the Spirit works in our hearts to produce a fountain of life. (See John 4:13-14.) As a result, God’s grace spills over into the lives of others with sensible speech. Persuasiveness is mentioned again, emphasizing the influence of wise words on others, leading them to examine their beliefs. Then we come to verse 24, an Old Testament that reminds me of Jesus’s sweet promise in Revelation: “They shall hunger no more, neither thirst anymore; the sun shall not strike them, nor any scorching heat. For the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of living water, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.” (Revelation 7:16-17)

Until that time, let us strive to offer our gracious words to others, those like honey and living water.