After writing yesterday on the power of the words we speak, I opened up to 1 Thessalonians early this morning to read Paul’s relief and gratitude upon hearing a good report from the church in Thessalonica.

Timothy carried the news to Paul, who in his relief relayed back, Therefore, brothers and sisters, in all our distress and persecution we were encouraged about you because of your faith. For now we really live, since you are standing firm in the Lord.

Proverbs tells us that good news from afar is like cold water to a weary soul. Paul experienced a long, cold drink in the news from up north. The refreshment pushed Paul and his team forward in their mission.

The church stood firm, the people held to the faith, and the love of God spread through Macedonia to the whole world.

1 Thessalonians 3 in week twenty-four of reading the Bible cover to cover

Photo by Laura Chouette

The Bible says a lot about the way we speak, often warning of the destructive potential of the tongue. But the flip side also gets mentioned—the power of well-spoken words.

Here are three such encouragements from the book of Proverbs:

Like cold water to a weary soul is good news from a distant land (25:25).

Through patience a ruler can be persuaded, and a gentle tongue can break a bone (25:15).

An honest answer is like a kiss on the lips (24:26).

When we speak truth with grace our words heal, and bring hope, and move people to do great things.

In a world filled with bellowing, featuring an endless cacophony of speech, I find it more important than ever to slow down and speak well.

Week twenty-four of reading the Bible cover to cover

Photo by Juri Gianfrancesco

A couple of nights ago my wife and I attended a beautiful wedding celebration in the mountains of Colorado. I enjoyed the excellent food, so much so that I headed back to the buffet with several of the young people. As they heaped their plates, I took a couple of meager spoonfuls. Oh the glory of eating all the pasta you want and still fitting into skinny jeans!

My bountiful meal stands in contrast to one provided by a host described in Proverbs. A begrudging host…is the kind of person who is always thinking about the cost. “Eat and drink,” he says to you, but his heart is not with you” (23:6-7).

The results of dining with such a stingy party-giver? You will vomit up the little you have eaten and will have wasted your compliments (23:8).

Bummer. Having experienced more than a few skimpy meals over the years, I can spot a lousy host, and know how to wiggle out of further engagements. Such a person doesn’t really want you eating his food anyway, so why show up? He’s using his guests for his own ends, or merely repaying an obligation.

Which makes me wonder—am I a begrudging or generous host? My wife’s great, always overloading the table. I tend toward precision, concerned about waste, edging toward frugality. I always benefit from the good hosts I encounter, experiencing generosity and learning to pass it on.

And most wonderfully, the begrudging host stands in stark contrast to the Lord of Hosts.

God lavishes his grace upon us. Holding nothing back in the giving of his Son, the Lord paid every bit of cost. To our eternal benefit, generosity in grace and goodness marks the Lord’s attitude towards us. Thank you Lord.

Proverbs 23 in week twenty-four of reading the Bible cover to cover

Photo by Tye Doring