Daily Devotional For Friday, May 29, 2026

Good morning and good day Southside! The weekend is here and to start it, we are going to use the reading from the One Year Chronological Bible Reading for today. Our passage comes from Proverbs 10:19, “Too much talk leads to sin. Be sensible and keep your mouth shut” (NLT). Need we say any more? This Proverb by Solomon is a great reminder that many times we are better off if we just say nothing, even when pressed. Other translations put this verse this way:

• NASB > “When there are many words, transgression is unavoidable, But he who restrains his lips is wise.”
• GNT > “The more you talk, the more likely you are to sin. If you are wise, you will keep quiet.”
• ERV > “A person who talks too much gets into trouble. A wise person learns to be quiet”
• TLB > “Don’t talk so much. You keep putting your foot in your mouth. Be sensible and turn off the flow!”
• ICB > ”If you talk a lot, you are sure to sin. If you are wise, you will keep quiet.”
• NIV > ”Sin is not ended by multiplying words, but the prudent hold their tongues”

I think you get the point here. Although the wise person gives sound advice, wisdom is found more in those who are silent than in those who are verbose! The message here is that you should be careful about who you listen to and that when a person talks too much, that is a good sign that his words are not worth hearing.

The point of this verse is that the prudent do not multiply their words in order to bring transgression to an end; rather, they show restraint. They realize that the more they talk, their words can lead to sin such as gossip, lying, stretching the truth, exaggeration, and boasting of themselves. Have you ever been around someone and they believe the center of the universe is themselves. You can tell by the pronouns they use — “I, me, my, mine.” They are big on their opinion, not of God’s opinion from His word.

The Hebrew word translated as “multiplying” is [בְּרֹ֣ב, berov]. This refers to the effusive words of the wicked. We see this in Proverbs 13:13, “Despise God’s Word and find yourself in trouble. Obey it and succeed” (TLB). We see this same how restrained words are a blessing in (Pr. 12:6; Pr. 15:23; Pr. 25:11; Pr. 12:25; Pr. 18:4; Pr. 24:26; Pr. 27:11; Job 15:3; Eccl. 10:12-14; Isa. 32:4,6). We see the warning about effusive words in Pr. 10:19; Pr. 13:5; Pr. 14:15,23; Pr. 18:8,13; Pr. 22:12; Pr. 26:22; Pr. 29:12; Pr. 30:8; Pr. 23:8; Eccl. 5:1-7; Eccl. 6:11; Eccl. 7:8,21;  Eccl. 10:12-14,20.

Sin is not stopped by multiplying words because sin is a matter of the heart. Sin always starts in the heart before it comes out in our lives. When words are “multiplied,” you often are speaking off of the top of your head and when you do that, you often say the wrong thing or leave out something you wished you had said. Once words are released, they cannot be taken back or negated. My wife, Audrey used to prove this point with the students in her classroom.

She would give students toothpaste and tell them to squeeze some out on a paper towel or napkin or paper plate. The kids loved to do this. Many would squeeze a lot out not knowing where she was going with this illustration. Then she would tell them to scoop up that toothpaste and then put it back into the tube. As they tried, they quickly realized that is impossible to do. Then she made the connection to one’s words – once out – our words are out there for good. Oh, we can apologize, but the damage has already been done.

Those who are prudent hold back their words, exercise self-control and have nothing to regret later. Everyone reading this has said things they regret and wish they could take back. We all have. So, when you are in a conversation with someone, and things get tense, notice how much of your words are defensive, argumentative, prideful and condemning, versus how many of your words are coming from the Word of God. If all of us let God’s words speak more than our own, we would have fewer regrets, more truth and reciprocal accountability. 

Reflection Assignment: When is a time in your life you have said something you regret and it was a big regret? Reflecting back over that experience, what would you do differently now other than not say what you said? What did you learn from God and His Word on this other than, “I wish I had kept my mouth shut!”? 

Scripture To Meditate On: James 3:5-6, “In the same way, the tongue is a small thing that makes grand speeches.But a tiny spark can set a great forest on fire. (6) And among all the parts of the body, the tongue is a flame of fire. It is a whole world of wickedness, corrupting your entire body. It can set your whole life on fire, for it is set on fire by hell itself” (NLT).

Prayer To Pray: “Dear Lord, help me bridle my tongue, especially when I am angry. I need to remember that “a soft answer turns away wrath” (Pr. 15:1). Lord, please give me Your words to speak the truth in love (Eph. 4:15). I love You Lord. In Jesus’ name, Amen!”

I love you Southside! – Pastor Kelly

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