A Good Word Prov 15: 23 CLICK TITLE FOR AUDIO
You know how good it feels to give the right answer at just the right time – it is a wonderful joy to be able to speak the truth, to say just the right thing, to encourage someone or to say something that finally breaks through and gives them the light of understanding – like a fellow said when I preached to him “Every time I had heard anything about the gospel it was like I had walked into a dark room and couldn’t see my way around; but coming here it was like somebody flipped the light on and now I can see everything clearly.”
If you set about to be an encourager and memorize scripture, you will have the right words to say at just the right time. Look at these exhortations to encourage us to speak a good word.
- Prov 12:25 Heaviness in the heart of man maketh it stoop: but a good word maketh it glad.
- Prov 16:24 Pleasant words are as an honeycomb, sweet to the soul, and health to the bones.
- Prov 25:11 A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in pictures of silver.
Pray like Walter Wilson did and ask God to use your mouth.
These are words that were spoken to me and they have stayed with me ever since:
- Viggo Gruy casting the only “No” vote concerning a board decision and by it turning the entire board’s decision.
- Lon Cartwright saying, “Don’t take it so serious,” when I was stressed over something I had taken far too seriously.
- Anne saying, “You can’t live their lives for them,” when I had become too personally concerned with people not following appropriate counsel that I had given them.
- Laurie saying, “It doesn’t cost a nickel to be nice.”
- Corinne saying, “There is also risk in doing nothing,” when discussing the direction of the family business.
- Dad saying, “If you have something in your heart you better do it while you can because there is a time coming when you will no longer be able to do it,” when I told him of my desire to enter the ministry and Bible college.
- Patrick Henry saying, “Give me liberty or give me death,” concerning the American Revolution.
- Bro. Dickman saying, “Your family is your first congregation; make sure they are your last,” when advising me on the pastorate.
- A Janitor saying, “Jesus gonna win,” when asked whether he understood the book of Revelation that he was reading in a KJV.
- John Harper to a Titanic survivor “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved.”
- Pete Dickens preaching, “Prepare to meet thy God,” on the fishing bridge in Gulf Breeze.