May
30
Sticks and Stones
Filed Under Daily Devotions
SCRIPTURE: Proverbs 13-15; Romans 11
Gentle words are a tree of life; a deceitful tongue crushes the spirit. ~ Proverbs 15:4
OBSERVATION:
Words affect people.
APPLICATION:
There’s a song by Dave Barnes titled, Sticks and Stones. The chorus goes like this:
I’d rather have sticks and stones and broken bones than the words you say to me. ‘Cause I know bruises heal and cuts will seal, but your words, be the life of me.
Our words are so powerful. They can bring out smiles, conjure up giddy feelings, they can break a heart and crush a spirit. The scary thing is that we don’t always know when our words hurt someone else. I remember vividly a time my freshman year in college when my dad said something that totally crushed me. Weeks later I told him how much they hurt me. He had no idea. The third chapter of James is about controlling the tongue and how something so small can cause so much destruction. But the good part is this same small thing can be used to give life - to give hope or encouragement. People send me notes or cards with their donations. I keep them in a box and read them when I need some encouragement. They give me a sense of power and healing. Words are so powerful - spoken or written.
PRAYER:
Father God, I pray You take control of what I say and guard my lips (Psalm 141:3). Let my words give life to others.