Gracious Words

For Tuesday, February 21, 2006
Proverbs 15:26

The thoughts of the wicked are an abomination to the Lord,
but gracious words are pure.

The thoughts, the words, and the deeds of the wicked are detestable to God. However witty they may consider themselves, however clever and fashionable they may seem to themselves, even how right they believe they may be, their behavior is odorous to God who will not be mocked. The great illusion of the wicked is that they believe they are getting away with their schemes. "There is no god," they say to themselves as fools. Pray now that they will learn the reality and power of God while there is time to be saved. Pray for your neighbors, family, and colleagues who reject Christ.

And pray for your own words to be gracious to them and to your spiritual family. Colossians 4:5-6 says, "Conduct yourselves wisely toward outsiders, making the best use of the time. Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person." For your words to be gracious, you must be a person who lives under the grace of God, whose heart is tranformed by grace. Your words and thoughts only reveal your heart. That is why the wicked, no matter what they think or say, cannot please God. Study God's grace; study what it is to live under grace and to be a person of grace; pray for God's grace to be manifested in your life.