Words sweet to the soul

Proverbs 16:24 (NIV)

Pleasant words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones

Your speech defines the effect--positive, negative, or neutral--that you have on other people.  Pleasant words…….don’t we all like to hear pleasant words?  Don’t we prefer hearing good news than bad?  Unfortunately, these days it seems that all we hear and read about is bad news.  Indeed, if what you read mostly are words printed in the newspapers and internet, by definition, “news” from a worldly standpoint is bad.  Good news really isn’t news, that is, good news doesn’t sell publications. 

What kinds of words are “sweet to the soul”?  What kinds of words are “healing to the bones”?  Does not the Bible fit these descriptions?  Isn’t the Bible, specifically the gospel, referred to as “the good news of God”?

The Bible has a lot to say about what are good words, words that are sweet to the soul and healing to the bones.  Such words give encouragement, inspiration and hope.  Think about this passage from Proverbs 25:11: “Like apples of gold in settings of silver is a word spoken in right circumstances”.  Think about times in your life when you were really down and depressed, yet someone spoke to you words of encouragement and hope.  Now think about this…..when was the last time you spoke pleasant words to someone else to uplift them?  When was the last time that you spoke pleasant words that uplifted your spouse?  Your children? 

Pleasant words also are not evil words.  Lack of evil, according to Proverbs 3:7-8 will be healing to your body and refreshment to your bones.  Pleasant words bring health and vitality to our lives. 

Why do most people wait until their loved are gone, then realize all the positive and pleasant words we should have said?  Think of pleasant words you need to say right now to someone else, i.e. your spouse, your children, your co-workers, your neighbors, those you care about the most…….