Another very dominant theme in the proverbs is related to the power of our words–what we speak–for good or evil. Get a load of some of the wise sayings related to the use of our words! Words used for evil can cause bloodshed, trap us, tell lies, pierce like a sword, are detested by the Lord, bring violence, and ruin. Lord, deliver us from the words of our mouths!
On the other hand, words used for good can rescue, help usescape trouble, fill our lives with good things, bring honesty, endure forever, bring God delight, and guard your life! These are the things we all want in life. They come as a result of being people that use their words for truth and for goodness.
One proverb in this section that is particularly convicting is 12:16. “A fool shows his (or her) annoyance at once, but a prudent man (or woman) overlooks an insult.” Wow! Now there is a hard task! Overlook an insult?! You have got to be kidding! But that is exactly what a wise person does. Only a fool reacts at once to an insult. The prudent or wise person–the person who uses thier words wisely or refrains from using them–overlooks an insult. This is something I am going to have to work on. It is not the natural instinct, for sure! But if I fear God (the beginning of wisdom) and want to be wise (and not a fool!) I need to learn to overlook insults. Enough work for me for this day!