What's the Golden Word?
While reading the Proverb of the day before bed with my children, we stopped at Proverbs 25:11, and I had to share my ponderings with you all too in hopes that you will be provoked as I was...
"A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in pictures of silver."
We are going to break down this descriptive phrase each adjective at a time, because each word means so much in this little sentence!
Apples are a picture of comfort in the Bible as mentioned in Song of Solomon 2:5,
Stay me with flagons, comfort me with apples: for I am sick of love.
Do your words bring comfort to the listener? When people need encouragement do they turn to you for help or run the other way when they see you coming for fear of another verbal assault?
A timely word is likened to a golden apple in the Bible. Something that is golden is, as we well know, valuable and precious...something that is treasured. Are your words held dear to the ear of the listener? Are they precious? You know, many times we are tempted to say whatever thought pops into our head and we must say whatever is on our mind or whatever we think someone else should do. But even if your counsel is right and helpful the Bible says that a word fitly spoken, a word spoken in the right way and at the right time, is precious and valuable. Not only should we "think before we speak", but pray before you speak!!!
The last thought leads us to the picture of silver. In my mind's eye, I see a golden apple in a silver picture frame. That being said, silver is mentioned in the Bible as something that needs refining before it is to be used.
Psalm 12:6 says,
"The words of the Lord are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times."
Have your words been purified using the filter of the Scriptures before they are used? At the end of the day, could we put your words in a silver frame and hang them up on the wall for all to see? That's quite a thought, but the Bible clearly tells us that it is possible when we have fitly spoken words! I hope and pray that you are as challenged as I am to achieve words that are likened to "apples of gold in pictures of silver"." Beautiful words, wonderful words, wonderful words of life"!
Stay tuned for our prayer letter in a few days with some good news to report!
"A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in pictures of silver."
We are going to break down this descriptive phrase each adjective at a time, because each word means so much in this little sentence!
Apples are a picture of comfort in the Bible as mentioned in Song of Solomon 2:5,
Stay me with flagons, comfort me with apples: for I am sick of love.
Do your words bring comfort to the listener? When people need encouragement do they turn to you for help or run the other way when they see you coming for fear of another verbal assault?
A timely word is likened to a golden apple in the Bible. Something that is golden is, as we well know, valuable and precious...something that is treasured. Are your words held dear to the ear of the listener? Are they precious? You know, many times we are tempted to say whatever thought pops into our head and we must say whatever is on our mind or whatever we think someone else should do. But even if your counsel is right and helpful the Bible says that a word fitly spoken, a word spoken in the right way and at the right time, is precious and valuable. Not only should we "think before we speak", but pray before you speak!!!
The last thought leads us to the picture of silver. In my mind's eye, I see a golden apple in a silver picture frame. That being said, silver is mentioned in the Bible as something that needs refining before it is to be used.
Psalm 12:6 says,
"The words of the Lord are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times."
Have your words been purified using the filter of the Scriptures before they are used? At the end of the day, could we put your words in a silver frame and hang them up on the wall for all to see? That's quite a thought, but the Bible clearly tells us that it is possible when we have fitly spoken words! I hope and pray that you are as challenged as I am to achieve words that are likened to "apples of gold in pictures of silver"." Beautiful words, wonderful words, wonderful words of life"!
Stay tuned for our prayer letter in a few days with some good news to report!
Comments
Post a Comment