Proverbs 14:23: In all labor there is profit, but idle chatter leads only to poverty.
Insight
Labor is profitable, both because of what is produced, and in that it fills the hands and occupies the mind, thus greatly lessening the danger of giving way to a corrupt nature. But mere talk, empty boasting, and foolish vaunting of oneself, results in material and spiritual poverty. 1
Application
The Word of God has just the wisdom we need today. It is found in Psalm 141:3 “Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth; Keep watch over the door of my lips.” There are a lot of opinions about gun control. What about the issue of tongue? Many people are slain each day by cutting words that destroy marriages, families, and fellowships. May these verses challenge your heart and change your speech. We are accountable to God for every word.
Motivation
Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to everlasting life, which the Son of Man will give you, because God the Father has set His seal on Him. John 6:27
If you measure your words with grace, you will avoid a lifetime of regret. – TWEET IT
Prayer
Father, please season my speech with Your love and mercy.
1. Ironside, H. A. (1908). Notes on the Book of Proverbs. Neptune, NJ: Loizeaux Bros.
