PROVERBS - WORDS, PART 2

August 4, 2019
I’m sure we’ve all heard the saying—A picture is worth a thousand words.  In a lot of ways, that’s the Prov.’s perfectly.  It’s loaded with vivid pictures that help drive home the point and really stick with you, because these images, they lodge in our minds.  Here’s a few of my favorites….  
Gracious words are like honey for the soul; envy is such a destructive emotion it’ll make your bones to rot; strong drink is like a poisonous serpent that bites/stings; a beautiful woman with NO discretion is like a gold ring in a pig’s filthy nose; the sluggard is so lazy he buries his hand in the dessert bowl and won’t even bother to bring it back to his mouth; a foolish person who keeps repeating his mistakes is like a dog that keeps coming back to lick its vomit.  These are some memorable images aren’t they?  
The word ‘nourish’ has the idea of a shepherd who feeds and cares for his sheep.  In Psalm 23, God is pictured as a shepherd who leads us to green pastures/quiet waters and restores our souls.  All that the Shepherd does is for the good of the sheep, not himself.If you notice, all the Proverbs that speak of nourishing words are aimed at refreshing/feeding/caring for OTHERS—not ourselves.  Nourishing words help because they seek the good/benefit of others.  Think about how contrary that is to the way the world would have us use our mouths?  Look throughout the NT, and you see this constant refrain of God calling His church to speak words of life/nourishment to one another.  Welcome/Pray/Encourage/Bless one another.  IOW, be life-giving fountains to one another with your words for the building up of the other person.One of my favorite books growing up was The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein.  Almost wanna cry every time I see that last picture where the old man comes back to his favorite tree—now chopped down to an old stump—and he’s sitting on it having a rest.  The Tree gives everything its got to this boy (literally) because it loves the boy and wants what’s best for him.  It became a literal Tree of Life.  Our words can do the same thing in the lives of those around us.  Words that help are nourishing words.
**A little boy and his dad who were walking along the beach together when they stumbled upon hundreds of starfish that had been washed up on the shore.  They were dying, being out of the water, so the father and the little boy started picking them up and throwing them back in the water.  After a bit, the little boy stopped and looked around at the hundreds of starfish still on the sand, and he said, “Daddy’s there’s just too many for us.  It doesn’t matter that we’re throwing a few back here/there.”  The daddy looked back at his son and said, “It matters to the ones we picked up.”You see folks every day who are washed up on the beach and drying out.  You’re married to them; you live with them, work with them, work out with them, and order your sandwich/coke from them at lunch.  Your words can be like precious gifts that make their hearts glad
**A number of years ago, the students in our college ministry began giving what they call ‘Word Gifts.’  At the year-end picnic, we have our seniors come up to be recognized and have one of their friends give them a word gift.  I want to anonymously share 2 of those with you…
Sweet *Friend*,
You have been one of the biggest blessings of my time at App, and I can honestly say that I am a better friend, sister, and daughter because of you….   From the beginning of our friendship, you have affirmed qualities that I either didn’t see in myself or thought that no one noticed. You have made me feel seen and loved… You affirmed the growth in me that most people wouldn’t think was a big deal, because you understood me in a way that few people do. 
You are a safe space for people and you make them feel heard. After the most difficult conversation of my life to date, I drove literally sobbing to your house. In one of my most vulnerable moments, I knew I could trust you with my tears. That afternoon, a burden that I had carried for a long time reached a breaking point, and that day you shouldered it with me. You affirmed that what I was going through was hard, and that you were proud of me. You listened to me while I cried and shared a real mess of a situation. And you spoke the truth in love and prayed over me and the entire situation. That day especially has made me a better sister, a better friend, and a better daughter. You and your friendship have been a literal gift from the Lord, and I am immensely grateful for you. So from the very bottom of my heart, thank you. I love you.
So let’s say you’ve been cold, hard, demanding with your words; maybe you’ve been cutting, sarcastic, or reckless in your speech.  Listen, it is NOT hypocritical for to repent and to start speaking words of life/love to people around you.  The Bible calls that obedience.
In the seat back in front of you, there should be a couple cards that say ‘Word Gift.’  Here’s challenge for this week—If you have a relationship with Christ, the Living Word who heals, then you have the power to speak words of life that help.  Ask God who needs a word gift and give it this week.  See what God does…
PRAY to end sermon — Invite elders/deacons down front to serve the Supper…