This scripture reminds us how powerful our words are. Our words shape the way that we think and act. By the power of our words, we either speak life or death.

Our words may seem innocent, but as we discuss things in our day to day lives, what meaning do our words have? What emotions drive those words? I’m reminded of this when my kids are disobedient. Am I encouraging them to change their behavior in a positive way with my words or am I simply venting my frustration and discouraging them?

In my day-to-day work, are the words I speak positive or negative? Have I become accustomed to pointing out possible negative outcomes so often that I am considered a negative person by coworkers?

When we look at the translation of this scripture in Hebrew, the word “power” is translated as “hand”. Specifically, it can mean a literal hand. It can also refer to putting something into the hand or out of the hand or putting something under someone else’s authority or being delivered from the control of another.

With our words, we are giving ourselves either over to fear or faith. We are giving ourselves under the control of good or evil. We are speaking deliverance or destruction.

Our words may only last what appears to be an insignificant moment when compared to the millions of moments we live, but our words exist long after they are spoken. Our words continue on in the minds of others and have a strong influence on our own ways of thinking and believing as well.

It is hard to think of these consequences and control our tongue in the heat of the moment.

We have to spend time with God and prepare our hearts so that the reactions that drive our words are positive even in the darkest of circumstances. We train and retrain ourselves as we renew our minds in time spent focused on God.

The second part of this scripture says, “they that love it will eat the fruit thereof.”

Here, “eat” means exactly what is says, to “consume”. We consume what we say and is has an effect on both us and everything around us.

This has sometimes been interpreted to mean that if you love to talk, you will eat your words.

We will consume the fruit; the results produced by our words, both edifying and idle and we either take in life or we take in death.

There isn’t any grey area here.

Every word is categorized into either life or death. Likewise, we cannot dabble in darkness while proclaiming to be in the light and expect good results. Let us make sure that we guard our hearts first by spending time with God and then we will be better prepared to speak life in our day-to-day conversations.