Daily Devotional
Proverbs 25:11 A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in pictures of silver.
The words that we speak matter; they may create favor or result in our demise. Therefore, we must do what it takes to speak the right words. In Luke 23:39-42 one of the men who was crucified with Jesus spoke harshly to him and said, “If thou be Christ, save thyself and us”. The other rebuked him and said to Jesus “remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom”. Jesus’ response to him was “today shalt thou be with me in paradise”. These two men ended up in two different places and what made the difference between them was the words that they chose to speak.
Proverbs 25:11 says a word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in pictures of silver. The scripture identifies two benefits of speaking the right words. The first is to make others feel valued. The scripture likens right words to apples of gold or something that is valuable. One way in which we can use our words to create value for others is by making them feel valued and appreciated.
In Judges 8, Gideon was an example of how we can make others feel valued and appreciated with our words. After the victory of Israel over the Midianites in Judges 7, the men of Ephraim were furious with Gideon because he did not get them involved in the battle from the beginning. He had called them during the midst of the battle, and they had killed the two princes of Midian, Oreb and Zeeb, but they evidently wanted a greater piece of the action. Rather than responding to their unwarranted fury with anger, Gideon used his words to make them feel valued. He abated their anger by telling them that their accomplishment was much greater than what he achieved, because they had killed the two princes of Midian.
The second benefit of speaking the right words is to leave a lasting memory in the mind of others. The scripture suggested this when it associated a word fitly spoken to pictures in silver. Pictures create lasting memories, and the same thing happens when we speak the right words. Based on the words that Gideon spoke to the men of Ephraim, not only did he make them feel appreciated, but he also left a lasting impression in their mind. Let us use our words to create the same impact among people in our world.
Life Application: Speak the right words by thinking before we speak and target saying words that make others feel valued and appreciated.
Prayer: Father, place your words upon my lips that I may use them to bless and not curse. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Daily Devotional 
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