Proverbs 22:18

The words of God are wonderful things! It is your duty to bow down your ears and hear them (Pr 22:17). It is your duty to apply your heart to love them (Pr 22:17). They will bring great pleasure to your soul, and you will be prepared to share them with others.

Keeping God’s words in your heart will be pleasant to your soul. They will be sweeter than honey (Ps 119:103), the rejoicing of your heart (Ps 119:111), and like finding great spoil (Ps 119:162). Jeremiah said they were the joy and rejoicing of his heart (Jer 15:16).

Do you crave God’s words? Job said, “Neither have I gone back from the commandment of his lips; I have esteemed the words of his mouth more than my necessary food” (Job 23:12). How long do you go without food? Do you crave God’s words like you do food?

Is the preaching of God’s words the best part of your week? Or is it going out to eat? Do you go to hear God’s words explained? Does your pastor even believe He has God’s words? Does he present them as individual jewels from God’s mouth? Demand them!

Do you have the words of God? There are so many Bibles today, all proclaiming to be the word (singular) of God. But which Bible has the words (plural) of God? Jesus Christ and His apostles had Scripture from which they argued important doctrine from single words (Matt 22:31-33,41-46; John 8:58; 10:33-36; Gal 3:16; 4:9; Heb 8:13; 12:26-27).

Do you love and appreciate the divine library God has given you? Is it as precious to you as much fine gold and as sweet to you as honeycomb (Ps 19:10)? Do you open its pages with awe and reverence, begging God to reveal new things to you (Ps 119:18)? There are 66 books of all kinds in this library, 1189 chapters, 31,102 verses, and 788,280 words!

Only by knowing the certain words of God can we use them to answer others, for Solomon said, “That I might make thee know the certainty of the words of truth; that thou mightest answer the words of truth to them that send unto thee?” (Pr 22:21). It is only the certain words of truth we want to hear, and it is only them we want to speak to others.

If you keep these precious words within you, meditating upon them and applying them to your own life and the world around you, they will become fitted in your lips. You will have ready words on the tip of your tongue for those seeking the truth. You will be able to answer their hard questions, for the words of truth will be very familiar to your mind.

God’s children have His words fitted in their lips, and they feed many (Pr 10:21; 15:7). They exalt Jesus Christ as the sovereign Lord of all in their hearts, and they are always ready to give an answer to those asking for reasons for their faith (I Pet 3:15). If this is not true of you, reader, where have you failed? Do you need a better teacher, to listen more attentively, to read more often, or to meditate more carefully? Do whatever it takes!