Words to the wise: deflate, don’t agitate

The Verse of the Day is found in Proverbs 15:1 in the King James Version:

A soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger.

For a different perspective, take a look at the first two verses of Proverbs 15 in the New Living Translation:

Proverbs 15:1-2 (NLT)

¹ A gentle answer deflects anger,

but harsh words make tempers flare.

² The tongue of the wise makes knowledge appealing,

but the mouth of a fool belches out foolishness.

As is so often the case, the Book of Proverbs provides striking contrasts between the words and actions of the wise and those of the foolish. The opening verses of Chapter 15 offer a most valuable lesson that we can learn in terms of the words that we speak. This passage and other words of wisdom from Proverbs remind us of

 

The Power of the Tongue

But the tongue can no man tame;

it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison

James 3:8

We know the tongue has power to generate life,

To produce seeds that will eventually take root

And will bring forth two very different kinds of fruit:

Love, joy and peace or envy, confusion and strife

Can build or destroy a brother, a friend, a wife.

With his hand, the helmsman easily turns great ships,

So we covenant to guard the gates of our lips,

For words can heal or pierce the heart as a sharp knife.

We desire life and long to see good all our days,

So we speak the truth and refrain from speaking lies.

Like Jesus, we want our tongues to speak what God says.

We seek to be wise but never in our own eyes.

Pressing toward the finish, the coming of God’s kingdom,

We seek not just a word but the Spirit of wisdom.

Listen to this scripture memory song for Proverbs 15:1

Put another way, Proverbs 15: 1 offers these words of wisdom: Deflate, not agitate