Proverbs 18:19-22 – Restoration and Blessing
Verse 19 – Why should you work so hard to avoid stirring up quarrels and arguments, to be peaceful? Because once a relationship is broken, it’s very hard work to restore it. The closer you are the harder it is, because the more painful the hurt and sense of betrayal. But just because it’s very hard, doesn’t mean it’s impossible, or that you aren’t obligated to show love and try to mend the breach. It is a poor witness to the world when Christians, who have so much in common, destroy their relationships through petty squabbles and trivial arguments.
Verses 20-21 – ‘Death and life are in the power of the tongue’ – do you believe this? Is your silence a sentence of death to those who need to hear the Gospel? Does your speaking of Christ open the way of life to others? God has given us speech to serve Him, to praise Him, to love Him, but we struggle with using our speech for evil – speaking out of anger, spreading gossip, or just keeping silent. And as with everything, we reap what we sow in our speech. Work today to use your tongue to praise God, to tell of Him to others, to encourage your brothers and sisters in the Lord.
Verse 22 – A good wife is a blessing from the Lord. If Adam needed a wife in the Garden of Eden, how much more do husbands and wives need each other in a world of sin and trouble. But what makes a wife good. A wife is good when she loves the Lord. The beauty of her soul needs to be more important than the beauty of her face. How can we find this good thing? The same place we find every blessing – as an answer to prayer. Have you thanked the Lord for the blessing of a Godly wife?
Questions
- How can you work to restore broken relationships?
- When is it wrong to keep silent?
- Where does a good wife come from?
Prayer Points
- Give thanks for Godly husbands or wives.
- Use prayer points from your congregation.
- Pray for family matters.