Fruit of the Mouth

For Thursday, July 20, 2006
Proverbs 18:20

From the fruit of a man's mouth his stomach is satisfied;
he is satisfied by the yield of his lips.

This is assuming that the fruit is good. When our speech produces good fruit by blessing others and conveying wisdom and knowledge, then we receive blessing, as when satisfied by a good, healthy meal. Conversely, when our speech stirs up trouble and offense, we will experience our own "stomach aches."

To delve deeper, Jesus pointed out that it is what comes out of a man that defiles him. Thus, the fruit of a man's mouth does not spring from the mouth but from the heart. Most of what we say, we say without conscious thought. We merely react with our mouths to what we see or hear. Those reactions will reflect the condition of our hearts. Do we speak carelessly often causing offense? Do we speak foolishly? Do we find ourselves having to apologize regularly for offending others, even though we really don't understand what all the fuss is about?

Good fruit ultimately reflects good soil. Give attention to the soil in your heart that you might bear good fruit in your mouth and be satisfied.