The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life,
but the mouth of the wicked conceals violence.
Summary: The mouth is an important part of our body. It can be used to reveal who we are or to deceive others about what we are.
Our bodies are incredible machines, each part is a miracle of biological engineering. The mouth is one of the most amazing parts. Even the simplest part of our inner workings can provide material for a lifetime of study. On the outside, though, there are some obvious features that we all notice.
We notice eyes. We notice size. We notice what a person does, how they dress, who they hang out with, and then … there is the mouth. The mouth is important to each of us because it is how we get nutrition and water into the body. It is also our primary means of communication.
Think about all the important functions associated with the mouth. It contains the tongue and our taste buds. Inside are our vocal cords, and the shape of the mouth, tongue, and lips are used to shape sound. We can breathe through our mouths and use the wind of our breath to whistle, gasp, sigh, or hum. The lips are a seal, closing off the mouth from too much water when we swim. They are a cushion that seals around a glass vessel when we drink.
The lips have their own language, too. With them, we kiss those we love and respect. A smile communicates feelings of delight. A frown communicates puzzlement or displeasure.
Today’s passage reveals one more aspect about the mouth.
“A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.” (Luke 6:45) — Jesus.
In the same way that the eyes are the window of the soul, the mouth is the window of the heart. What is in the heart can be seen when the mouth opens and words come out. Not only words but intonations, pauses, volume, emotion…
The heart of the righteous is devoted to doing God’s will. In short, the righteous love God above all else and their neighbor as themselves (Matthew 22: 37-40). To love God is to love Jesus (John 10:30). The words that come out of the mouth of the righteous reflect this love that leads to life (1 John 3:14).
The wicked are very different. Instead of the mouth revealing who they are, they use the mouth to conceal who they are and what they intend.
Application: Be aware that not everything is what it seems.
Food for Thought: How are we to discern the difference between the wicked and the righteous mouth?
By what comes out.
Good or evil. (Luke 6:45)
Life or death. (Proverbs 18:21)
Forthright or concealing. (Psalm 15:2, Proverbs 12:17)
Blessing or cursing (James 3:8-10)
Thank you, A!
God bless you! 🙂
Good devotion and comments A.
“A” hit on James 3, the tongue chapter. What I find interesting from that chapter is that we can all relate to the careless word or angry word we wish we could take back. The problem with the wicked or righteous mouth is that both seem to be active in each one of us.
This is why we should all strive to be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry (James 1: 19 – 20).
We should strive to use our words to build up as opposed to destroy (Ephesians 4: 29).
We do need to tame the tongue as it is indeed a restless world of evil when not under the Holy Spirit’s control.
Thank you, Rich!
I guess the goal for us believers is to submit to the Holy Spirit 24/7.
🙂
04-20-2022, Proverbs 10:11, How are we to discern the difference between the wicked and the righteous mouth?
Spiritually, there are only two kinds of people walking upon the earth: those who serve the Lord and those who do not serve the Lord. The righteous serve the Lord while those who do not serve the Lord are unrighteous, and believers are called to test the spirits to see whether they are from God or false prophets.
Malachi 3.13-18, 1 John 4:1
When we look at discernment in the Bible, it’s always connected to spiritual maturity. So if we want to be a discerning Christian, we need to be a mature Christian. One who is growing in faith, one who is growing in knowledge of the Lord, one who is understanding the Bible!
Hebrews 4:12, 1 Thessalonians 5:21-22
A mature Christian is discerning, and a discerning Christian is mature. Discernment takes us from “children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes,” to “the mature, those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil.”
Ephesians 4:14, Hebrews 5:14
Study and live according to our Bibles and listen to the Holy Spirit who give the power of discernment to all believers.
John 14:16, 26
Ron,
Thank you. I appreciate your theme: discernment and maturity. Both reflect an ongoing walk with God that brings us closer to our Lord every day.
Can you imagine what it will be like when we grow up????
Blessings,
Ron
🙂