anglican devotional

The Daily Fountain Devotional of the Church Of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) 23 November 2023 – Be Gracious In Your Speech

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TOPIC: Be Gracious In Your Speech

READ: Ecclesiastes 10 (NKJV)

  1. Dead flies putrefy the perfumer’s ointment, And cause it to give off a foul odor; [So does] a little folly to one respected for wisdom [and] honor.
  2. A wise man’s heart [is] at his right hand, But a fool’s heart at his left.
  3. Even when a fool walks along the way, He lacks wisdom, And he shows everyone [that] he [is] a fool.
  4. If the spirit of the ruler rises against you, Do not leave your post; For conciliation pacifies great offenses.
  5. There is an evil I have seen under the sun, As an error proceeding from the ruler:
  6. Folly is set in great dignity, While the rich sit in a lowly place.
  7. I have seen servants on horses, While princes walk on the ground like servants.
  8. He who digs a pit will fall into it, And whoever breaks through a wall will be bitten by a serpent.
  9. He who quarries stones may be hurt by them, [And] he who splits wood may be endangered by it.
  10. If the ax is dull, And one does not sharpen the edge, Then he must use more strength; But wisdom brings success.
  11. A serpent may bite when [it is] not charmed; The babbler is no different.
  12. The words of a wise man’s mouth [are] gracious, But the lips of a fool shall swallow him up;
  13. The words of his mouth begin with foolishness, And the end of his talk [is] raving madness.
  14. A fool also multiplies words. No man knows what is to be; Who can tell him what will be after him?
  15. The labor of fools wearies them, For they do not even know how to go to the city!
  16. Woe to you, O land, when your king [is] a child, And your princes feast in the morning!
  17. Blessed [are] you, O land, when your king [is] the son of nobles, And your princes feast at the proper time — For strength and not for drunkenness!
  18. Because of laziness the building decays, And through idleness of hands the house leaks.
  19. A feast is made for laughter, And wine makes merry; But money answers everything.
  20. Do not curse the king, even in your thought; Do not curse the rich, even in your bedroom; For a bird of the air may carry your voice, And a bird in flight may tell the matter.

THE MESSAGE:

In our text today, the preacher points out how fools talk without thinking of the consequences of their words and thereby get trapped by their own words. On the other hand, the words of a wise man are gracious and win him favours but the lips of a fool consume him (verse 12). In line with the writer’s submission in our text, Apostle Paul admonished Christians in Colossians 4:6, “Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.” In verse 13, the writer goes further to reveal how fools multiply their words, beginning with foolishness and ending with wicked madness.

Beloved, as a follower of Christ, let the word of God dwell in you richly (Colossians 3:16). Learn to exercise God’s wisdom in your speech and do not forget that you will give account of every careless word you utter. You can either be justified or condemned by your words (Matthew 12:36). As a Christian, let your words express love, joy, endurance, encouragement, hope, tolerance and kindness in all situations. Do not be careless in your words; your words must not bring reproach to the sacred name of the Lord.

PRAYER: Father, let my speech and action bring people to the knowledge of Jesus Christ, Amen.