The Effect of Good Words: Gospel Today Devotional - 24th February, 2024

LESSONS FROM PROVERBS (2)

The truth remains that people go through a lot of things that they most times are unable to tell people about. There are lots of discouraged persons; people who as a result of one thing or the other have been disappointed not once nor twice but as many times as they can think of. Praise God. These are the kinds of persons we are privileged to meet on daily basis as believers. It's however a pity to note that many times, we are so insensitive that we do not know that persons who are even close to us are going through trying times.

You see, most times, our words don't even help. We learnt some days ago that the words that should come out from our tongues should be words that are edifying, isn't it? As believers, we are not to speak words that condemn or put people in a state where they feel more discouraged than they were before they met us. Isn't it painful most times that even as believers we do otherwise? Suppose someone comes to you to tell you how depressed he is with the hope to be comforted by your words only to hear you say something like, "Will you be the first to go through such? Is that why you're behaving this way?". What do you think your words would do to this person?

Do you honestly think such a person would leave discouraged or encouraged? I am certain that particular person will leave more depressed than he came. What's the point? That we are to say nothing but things that are comforting. This is what we should do as believers. We should bear one another's burdens and that can be seen in how we minister to one another through our words. Praise God! This is because good words have great effect in the life of the one who is heavy in heart. Let's see the passage of scripture below.

"Heaviness in the heart of man maketh it stoop: but a good word maketh it glad" (Proverbs 12:25).

As stated earlier on, people go through a lot of issues. A man who is heavy in heart is very much unstable in the the things he does. He most times may not even be concerned about the people around, his environment, why? This is because there are a lot of issues with him. He is bothered about many things. This is the reason many times you would see someone who has always been jovial, excited, up and doing suddenly withdraws himself from everyone and everything. The scripture says that heaviness in the heart makes it stoop, that is, issues of serious concerns troubles the heart such that it becomes unstable and detached from the very things it was used to.

This affects the behavior of the person who is heavy in heart like we have rightly stated before now. It is true this has been established. Now we know that heaviness in the heart of a man makes it stoop. If this truly is the case as the scripture has made it known to us, is there something we are to do? When such a man is identified, what should be our response? How can one help such a man who no longer behaves the same way as before because he is bothered? These are the questions I believe this lesson seeks to answer. I also think that the second part of that scripture gives the answer. Shall we consider it? It says but a good word makes it glad. 

We can see it this way that although heaviness in the heart makes it stoop, a good word makes it glad which means that the remedy to a heavy heart is a good word; a word fitly spoken (edifying, comforting and exhorting). This is a charge to you and I that each time we identify one whose heart is heavy, that which we are to do is to speak a good word to such a person. Good words have great effect in the lives of those whose hearts are heavy. Hence, as believers, we should at all times ensure that our words are edifying, comforting and exhorting. The Lord help us all in Jesus' name.

Thoughts for Today: 

The remedy to a heavy heart ( a heart troubled and distressed) is a good word (a word that is fitly spoken). Do your words relieve people of their troubles?

Gospel Today is a comforting, exhorting, edifying and inspiring devotional published by the Delightsome Land Christian Ministry. For questions, enquiries/testimonies, please call/WhatsApp: 08174915361, 08161655758 or Email: [email protected]