“The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life” (10:11). Our words are powerful. We often don’t realise how significant they are. We throw words around far too flippantly. Our words have more effect than we can probably imagine. They penetrate the hearts of people and sow seeds or either life or death. Language is a uniquely human attribute; it is part of the divine image in us. The creation account in Genesis 1 emphasises the fact that God spoke the world into being. And he created humankind with the capacity of speech to use language to serve God’s purpose on earth. Adam was given the right to name the animals (Genesis 2:19-20), an important gesture of authority. The priests were instructed to bless the Israelites by saying a blessing over them (Numbers 6:22-26). Ezekiel was told to prophesy to dry bones so that they would live (Ezekiel 37:4,9). Words carry more than just information. They can instil faith or fear, hope or despair. Words can lift up and cast down. Words can bless and curse. But God has called us to be ministers of blessing. By our words we can give new life to a heart that is alienated from God. As we testify to the work of Christ, God empowers our words to transform lives. Your mouth can be a fountain of life today for those you meet. As you encourage others you can do more good than you will ever realise. So use words today to give life to others.
Think about who you can encourage today.
Read Proverbs 10:11-18
