As we incline our hear to the words Mrs. P31 shares, we will hear God's very Word of truth."She opens her mouth in wisdom, And the teaching of kindness is on her tongue." Proverbs 31:26
Be warned: this is definitely a toe-bruising verse...at least for me!! I pray God will use it to make us look a bit more like Jesus today!
I love the literal rendering of this verse in the NASB, 'she opens her mouth in wisdom.' It seems to imply her mouth is not opened other than to speak wisdom! Earlier in Proverbs we learn "When there are many words, transgression is unavoidable, But he (or she) who restrains his lips is wise" (Proverbs 10:19).
Not that she was sinless, or never spoke a harsh word...this side of heaven, none of us are (Romans 3:23). But obviously what is memorable about her speech is not harsh, critical gossip but rather wisdom and kindness.
"How did she do it?" I asked the Lord in prayer as I dug into His Word. I am seeking the Lord for much needed direction on this topic, as my own mouth definitely spends time chewing on my foot!!
The Lord brought Luke 6:45 to mind in answer to my question. "As the good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth what is good; and the evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth what is evil; for his mouth speaks from that which fills his heart."
The Lord is teaching me, it is not by trying to say what is wise and kind that Mrs.P31 can have such a beautiful mouth. But rather it is the natural overflow of a heart filled with wisdom and kindness (what is good).
So it begs the question, "How do I get wisdom and kindness to so fill my own heart that it overflows out towards my family and those the Lord brings before me today?" The original word for mouth in this verse is convicting...it portrays the external manifestation of an individual's character! Essentially, you are what you say! Ouch!
Proverbs 9:10 teaches us that the fear (or reverence) of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. That's where we have to start! And the original word for kindness in Proverbs 31:26 is the word 'hesed' meaning merciful and loving kindness, it is an important Old Testament word that is central to God's character.Thus you can't speak the wisdom or the 'hesed' of God without a true fear or reverence of God and a daily filling of His Spirit. Only by His Spirit within us can we have 'hesed' ...it is central to who He is!The literal translation of Galatians 5:25 reminds us that to live by the Spirit , we must also follow or walk by the Spirit.
Practically speaking...are you and I spending time daily at His feet in prayer and in His Word so we can be filled with a fresh dose of His Spirit? You and I are sealed by the Spirit when we came to know Him (Ephesians 4:30), but daily we can be refreshed as we confess and seek Him anew (1 John 1:9). Do you have a verse you are working on memorizing right now? That is one key I am learning to prioritize in my hectic schedule!
The more we dig into His Word, the more we will reverence God, thus gaining wisdom. The more we seek Him in prayer, the more we are filled with the Spirit to act then on kindness...not by our power but His! The Word and prayer are like 2 sticks of dynamite, I once heard a teacher say, when they are brought together they are combustible power against the devil.
Let's practice letting the Word abide in us, making us powerful for the kingdom of God within our own homes, neighborhoods and communities.
