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Today I want to talk to you about words and deeds.

Part three, last part of Proverbs chapter 12. There's some real gems in here today. Verse 16 says, a fool's wrath is known at once, but a prudent man covers shame. So the wise person knows when to do full disclosure for accountability and transparency. And then also when you withhold information to protect victims and to protect people that have been hurt. A lot of times this will come up in counseling.

First - You'll have to have high levels of confidentiality so that people are able to trust you and open up with the biggest hurts that they have in their life. And the wise person knows the difference between sharing everything and sharing limited information to cover for people who have been hurt. Now Proverbs 12, 18 says, there is one who speaks like the piercings of a sword, but the tongue of the wise promotes health.

Second - Now the wise person will only say things that are beneficial and uplifting to the person who's receiving the information. So you always want to take in mind, you always want to say things that are encouraging, things that are uplifting, things that spur people forward in their life and in their faith. And again, having more wisdom will help you to differentiate the words that you use. Pretty cool. We want to make sure that we are promoting health with our tongue. Verse 21 says, no grave trouble will overtake the righteous, but the wicked shall be filled with evil.

Third - So the person who's close to God and who has a long time horizon, not thinking just about the here and now, but thinking about eternity will understand that if you follow God that all of your trouble is temporary. Now it may feel like it's going to last forever, but you don't have to live too long to realize that life has its highs, it has its lows, it has its winters, it has its summers, its springs, its falls. And so if you just hold on through the season that you're in, you'll get through it. And so what you can remember is that nothing will overtake you.

Why? Because all our trouble in so many ways is just temporary trouble, and it's a test from God to see if we're going to endure and persevere through it. Now verse 23 says, a prudent man conceals knowledge, but the heart of fools proclaims foolishness. This is one of my favorite Proverbs.

Fourth - The wisest people don't say everything that they know. Now this seems counterintuitive. We have a hustle culture now, you're supposed to leverage every opportunity to get ahead. I understand that, but the wise person doesn't show all of his cards. He's got a few tucked away for a rainy day, for hardship. And so sometimes you can just listen, and listening and not speaking is in so many ways a very powerful tool that we can use on our side to help us grow in our wisdom to listen. And then verse 27 says, the lazy man does not roast what he took in hunting, but diligence is man's precious possession. Wow.

Fifth - Diligence is a man's most precious possession. This word means discipline. It carries with it the idea of daily discipline. It is in many ways the little micro habits that you sustain on a daily basis. You know, there's 24 hours in a day and in that 24 hour period, you have a lot of macro habits, a lot of big habits. And then you also have micro habits, small little ones. Your micro habits and your macro habits, they really determine the future of your life.

And the key asset that you're going to need is diligence. And that's why it says it's man's most precious possession, your diligence, your daily discipline to accomplish the things that God has put in your heart is your most precious asset. Wow.

The last couple days in Proverbs chapter 12 have been unbelievable. We're going to get in chapter 13 next time. Every time we look in God's word, he's got something wonderful to show us and to encourage us with. I'm so glad you could be with me today. Until next time, I hope you have a beautiful day.