Text: Proverbs 4:24 Put away from thee a froward mouth, and perverse lips put far from thee.

Last week we discussed “What are you excuses”. I appreciate God in your life as you let the Word dwell in you richly. Today, we shall focus on the Froward Mouth.

A froward or a forward mouth is a mouth that is not easily controlled (forward and forward are taken to mean the same thing and shall be used interchangeably in this article). Rule your speech. Guard your tongue. Mark your words. After keeping your heart with all diligence, from which come the issues of life, Solomon warned you to reject ungodly speech (Pr 4:23 Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life). Beginning with the thoughts and intents of the heart, wisdom demands you govern your speech (Pr 4:24), your eyes (Pr 4:25), and your feet (Pr 4:26-27). A forward mouth is an individual that tells lies all the time and one that is always saying bad things about others. A person with a forward mouth is always cursing and is also very proud. People with froward or forward mouths are very common in the church, houses, society and are also very unpleasant to deal with. 

It is impossible to have godly and gracious speech without a pure heart, for the content of the heart supplies the mouth (Matt 12:33-35). You can tell a good heart by kind and holy words, and you can tell a bad heart by harsh or carnal words. Jesus said it; believe it. Kings love the perfect man who speaks graciously from a pure heart (Pr 22:11 One who loves a pure heart and who speaks with grace
will have the king for a friend).

This proverb does not warn you to stay away from those with froward mouths and perverse lips, for that advice is given elsewhere (Pr 14:7 Stay away from a fool, for you will not find knowledge on their lips; Pr.19:27 Cease, my son, to hear the instruction that causeth to err from the words of knowledge; I Cor 15:33 Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners). It warns you to get rid of your own froward mouth and perverse lips. The context is ruling your own heart, lips, eyes, and feet (Pr 4:23-27), not avoiding others with those sins.

Solomon taught his son and told him to listen and submit to his fatherly instruction (Pr 4:20). He then exhorted him to keep his advice directly before him and firm in his resolve (Pr 4:21). And he encouraged him by saying that it would give him life and health (Pr 4:22). Then in order, he told his son to guard his heart, lips, eyes, and steps (Pr 4:23-27).

A foolish mouth will ruin your reputation (Eccl 5:3, Eccl 10:12-14). An offensive mouth will cause trouble with men (Pr 12:13, Pr 13:3, Pr 14:7, Pr 18:6-7, Pr 22:10, Pr 24:9). And then you will give account of every idle word in the Judgment (Pr 6:16-19, Matt 12:36-37, Eph 5:3-6).

 Kind and wise speech will build your reputation (Pr 15:4, Pr 18:20, Pr 24:26). Appropriate words will enhance your relationship with men (Pr 10:32, Pr 15:23, Pr 16:13, Pr 25:11). And the blessed pleases God with his constructive and helpful words (Pr 12:22, Eph 4:29, Col 4:6).

Improve your speech by cutting your words in half, if you talk more than the average person (Pr 17:27, James 1:19). You then must rule your spirit, for it can kindle a fire from hell (Pr 16:32, James 3:3-8)! And you have to avoid arguments (Pr 26:4-5, II Tim 2:23).

If you keep your heart at peace with the Lord and man, it will be difficult for you to speak harsh or painful things. If you keep your heart pure with the Lord and man, it will be difficult for you to have foolish or carnal speech. If you fill your mind with noble things, you will have precious material for conversation (Phil 4:8). May God guide your tongue. Let your mouth minister grace to the hearer.

God bless you real good.

Deacon Mike Ben

Brethren,

Are you a self-starter? Do you have enough sense of responsibility to know what you ought to do and to do it? Solomon continued to condemn sluggards here by comparing them to ants (Pr 6:6-8). These little people do not need a meeting every morning to be told what to do and how to do it. They simply go to work and get things done, now!

The ants provide an excellent lesson in diligence, frugality, and savings. Instead of an HND, BSc, Harvard MBA, or PHD,  you need to study an ant farm. They work hard all summer to provide for their needs during the fall, winter, and spring (Pr 6:8; 30:25). They work hard, consume little, and save much. All three of which are great virtues.

And they do it without direction. The ants do not have a boss or manager to remind them of diligence, frugality, and saving. They do these things instinctively by God’s wise creation. It is a shame most men cannot copy the virtues of these little people. Solomon warned his son about human sluggards that do not work during harvest (Pr 10:5; 20:4).

Many men must be forced to work, reminded to work, told how to work, reproved for jobs poorly done, reminded how to do the job right, and constantly followed to keep them working (Pr 6:9-11; 20:13). They are losers. They are a pain and problem. They will take a day off for a cold or headache. If the boss is away, they will play. These are sluggards.

Other men spend everything they make especially during the festive periods, much of it on pleasure (Pr 21:17,20; 23:21). They will spend next month’s labour by using credit cards for entertainment and toys today. Others like them will invest their money in foolish schemes that rob them and their family (Pr 28:19). It has never occurred to them there is no necessity to spend all income.

These two kinds of men – the sluggard and the waster – are brothers. They both come from the family of financial ruin (Pr 18:9). They could learn much from the ant, but they are too proud to consider such insignificant creatures, though King Solomon did! They are so arrogant and so addicted to sleep that no reasons will move them (Pr 26:16).

Parents, you are responsible to teach your children hard work, wise foresight, spending discipline, and constant saving. These four simple traits will do more for their future financial and personal success than any other natural investment you can make in them. Do not settle for helping them with their Spanish homework – which they will never use and only distracts their minds from profitable learning. Teach them about the ant!

The cure for sluggards and spendthrifts is simple and obvious. Starve them. They will quickly learn both virtues – diligence and saving. This is the wisdom of God, and humanistic shortcuts like public education, welfare, jobs programs, and charity will not work as well (Pr 20:4; II Thess 3:6-14). Christian charity extends only to acts of God, not consequences of sloth or waste, only to necessary things, not toys or entertainment.

The locusts are also praised in Proverbs 30:27 for not having a king, but the virtue there is social cooperation and team effort, for the locusts all go forth by bands, or swarms. But the ant is singled out twice for its great diligence and frugality, with a wise eye to the future (Pr 6:8; 30:25). Learn this simple lesson and avoid the financial trouble of others.

Paul warned that every man shall bear his own burden (Gal 6:5). You cannot blame your parents, teachers, or pastor for failure, either financially or spiritually. This is especially true if you had good parents and were taught in a Christian church. The more advantages you have had, the more you will be punished by the just God (Luke 12:47-48).

Dear reader, what should you be doing today that you are not? Do you need someone to tell you, again? Do you need to be punished by authority or circumstances to do it? Consider the ant, and do what you ought to be doing. You will be blessed in the deed naturally and spiritually. You should be especially eager to get at your spiritual duties.

Jesus Christ was the ultimate self-starter. He was focused on obeying His Father from the beginning, which He showed even at age twelve in the temple. And He did this in spite of His mother and Joseph not understanding or helping Him toward His goal (Luke 2:49; John 4:34). Hear Him speak of His burden to serve His Father: “I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work” (John 9:4).

Finally, God expects us to be diligent and stand in the gap for Him. This is your day therefore, visit or Pick up your phone and call someone to say hello, ask his/her well being and invite him/her to the Church.

God bless you real good.

Deacon Mike Ben