Pleasant and Wholesome Words

“Pleasant words are like a honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and health to the bones.” (Proverb 16:24)

We live in a time in which there seems to be a full on assault against EVERY SINGLE thing that would bring joy, peace, health….anything good into a human soul.

Satan, the enemy of our souls….and of GOD….is orchestrating that assault.

He HATES people. He wishes to utterly DESTROY us.

It’s the only way he can touch God and bring Him pain because he knows God loves us.

“Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth…” (Ephesians 4:29a - NASB)

Sarcasm, cynicism, meanness, catty comments, filthy language, sexual innuendos, half-truths, lies….every form of what the Apostle

Paul refers to as “unwholesome words”….are celebrated.

Popular television shows and movies are filled with these things.

The people, like toddlers, follow their lead and mimic the lost hearts of those who provide that “entertainment”.

The devil is behind it all because he knows this:

“Pleasant words are like a honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and health to the bones.” (Proverb 16:24)

The human soul, for lost people, is what drives them. They live to satisfy the longings in their souls (minds, wills and emotions.)

Everything they do is to supply their own needs and/or take away or protect from the pain of not getting their soul needs met.

They walk (live habitually) JUST LIKE lost people do….walking AFTER their own flesh, never having been taught to allow their souls to turn over control of their lives to the Holy Spirit of God Who lives in their human spirits.

To these “pleasant words are like a honeycomb, sweetness to the soul”. They just rarely experience pleasant words.

There are many in Christianity that seem to take delight in looking down on lost people, arguing with them, setting scriptural traps for them, mocking their sad and fruitless attempts to find real satisfaction without turning to God.

They drive the lost away from God with their “unwholesome words” and behavior.

“the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost." (Luke 19:10)

There were LOTS of nasty things Jesus could have said to the prostitutes, the woman at the well and the other sinners He encountered and they would have all been true.

We don’t see and record in the Bible of Him doing that to them. He chose, instead, to love them knowing that “Pleasant words are like a honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and health to the bones.”

Our Lord’s harsh words seem to all have been reserved for the devil and for legalistic, heavy-handed spiritual leaders. He also used them on Peter who would emerge as one of the first Christian leaders but who had tendencies leaning toward the heavy-handedness he had seen modeled by the Jewish leaders of his day.

“Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, SO THAT IT WILL GIVE GRACE TO THOSE WHO HEAR. DO NOT GRIEVE THE HOLY SPIRIT OF GOD, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.” (Ephesians 4:29-32 - NASB)

God is interested in what words we place into the souls of the lost people and Christians around us. He knows what power there is in our words.

“DEATH AND LIFE ARE IN THE POWER OF THE TONGUE, and those who love it will eat its fruit.” (Proverb 18:21)

I also find it interesting that our “Proverb of the day” (16:24) says this:

“Pleasant words are like………health to the bones.”

I wonder what would happen to the skyrocketing rates of disease in our world today if we chose to obey God and only allow pleasant, wholesome words to flow out of our mouths.

I wonder if they would bring health (literally "curative medicine") to those suffering from illness.

“Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, making the most of your time, because the days are evil.” (Ephesians 5:15-16)

May we live as wise Christian men and women and make the most of our time on this earth. Amen.

Pastor Mike McInerney

Mike McInerney Ministries, Inc.

Decatur, Texas

© December 16, 2017

(For use with permission)