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Today's Devotion
From Dr. David Jeremiah
Righteous Words
August 21, 2026
From the mouth of the righteous comes the fruit of wisdom, but a perverse tongue will be silenced.
Proverbs 10:31, NIV
Recommended Reading:
Proverbs 10:21-3221 The lips of the righteous feed many,But fools die for lack of wisdom.[{{f}}]22 The blessing of the Lord makes one rich,And He adds no sorrow with it.23 To do evil is like sport to a fool,But a man of understanding has wisdom.24 The fear of the wicked will come upon him,And the desire of the righteous will be granted.25 When the whirlwind passes by, the wicked is no more,But the righteous has an everlasting foundation.26 As vinegar to the teeth and smoke to the eyes,So is the lazy man to those who send him.27 The fear of the Lord prolongs days,But the years of the wicked will be shortened.28 The hope of the righteous will be gladness,But the expectation of the wicked will perish.29 The way of the Lord is strength for the upright,But destruction will come to the workers of iniquity.30 The righteous will never be removed,But the wicked will not inhabit the earth.31 The mouth of the righteous brings forth wisdom,But the perverse tongue will be cut out.32 The lips of the righteous know what is acceptable,But the mouth of the wicked what is perverse.
Proverbs 10:21-32
A skunk sat on a stump and thunk the stump stunk, but the stump thunk the skunk stunk.
Try saying that three times in a row! What a marvelous, God-designed gift is our tongue! We use it for talking (even saying tongue-twisters) and for tasting and eating. It can do so much good when we use our words to encourage, to lift up, and to build up. We can use our speech to share the Gospel and lead people from the kingdom of darkness into the realm of grace. We can say, “Thank you,” “I love you,” and “How can I be of encouragement to you today?”
But the same tongue can also cause a lot of pain and trouble. As Christians, we must break our tendency to gossip, curse, lie, flatter, criticize, and brag.
Spend time each day in the Word of God, guarding your heart so that only righteous words come out of your mouth. “From the mouth of the righteous comes the fruit of wisdom.” The tongue reveals what the heart is storing.
A timely word—spoken at just the right time to meet a particular need—how good it is!
William MacDonald
