Day 208, Year 1

Our Words Determine Our Death and Life 

“Death and life are in the power of the tongue, And those who love it will eat its fruit.” (Proverbs 18:21 NASB)

As mentioned yesterday, God shall destroy liars. The Bible indicates the huge impact of our words on ourselves and others, even determining life and death. In today’s verse, “death and life” referred first and foremost to the speaker himself or herself. Actually, Jesus and many of God’s servants were cursed by others, but those curses had no effect on them because of His protection. In my understanding, “death and life” in the verse illustrates that each of our own futures is determined by the one who has spoken the words.

In fact, those who belong to God speak His words, while those who belong to the devil speak its words. And thus those who belong to God head toward eternal life, whereas those who belong to the devil head toward eternal death. The words of a person often reflect who he or she belongs to. Of course, for taciturn people, their whereabouts depend more on who their minds belong to. As God’s people, we are often led to speak more of His words as our spiritual lives mature. Except when grappling with struggles or intensively dealing with problems, believers are usually encouraged to speak more of God’s Word.

The second half of today’s verse states that those who love talking will eat the fruit of their own words. Otherwise, the evil words coming out of people’s mouths will sooner or later become the rotten fruit they eat. For example, those good at talking tend to have better interpersonal relationships and are able to understand the needs of different people easily. They could use their words to satisfy and move others to serve them. This is one of the meanings of “fruit” in the verse. In addition, some believers are good at speaking, not solely for their benefit, but to lead many to faith in God, serve Him, and accept His Word. By serving Him, we also serve other people. When we speak God’s Word according to His guidance, even if the audience refuses to accept, we can still feel His presence and protection, and even receive further direction on how to improve our speaking. We, who speak God’s Word, could already receive His reward for our obedience. Even if a few people accept His Word, we will still have the joy of God’s presence in our hearts, just as the prophets in the Old Testament did. In any case, the words we speak should convey His message, but we should avoid all words that promote the power of death.

Reflection questions:

1) How do you feel about the fact that your coming life or death is in the power of your tongue?

2) Are you willing to let your words bear the fruit of life? If you want to choose life, are there any speaking habits you need to change with the Lord’s help?