“Gracious words are like a honeycomb.Gracious words are like sweetness to the soul and like health to the body.” Proverbs 16:24
Psalm 19:14 (NKJV) – “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart Be acceptable in Your sight, O LORD, my strength and my Redeemer.”
thedailylily.com 
What a beautiful picture that really illustrates the Proverbs scripture. So wonderful how God in His goodness designs and provides a sunflower to freely give to the bees for life-giving nutrients so the bees can survive, thrive and do their work ….. He is so gracious.
While thinking on gracious, I thought how Jesus had gracious words, “Everyone spoke well of him and was amazed by the gracious words that came from his lips. “How can this be?” they asked. “Isn’t this Joseph’s son?” (Luke 4:22).
Ellicott’s commentary said this about it: “The gracious words.–Literally, the words of grace.
Debi’s comment gives words of grace in giving honor and praise to God for His Words of praise and His actions by providing sustenance for the Bees as they in turn provide honey for us. When you meditate on the sunflower and bee you have a full circle connective power to God, humans and nature. I often find my mornings and throughout my day a bit more productive and joyful when I dance in the connective!
“But be doers of the word, and not merely hearers who deceive themselves.”—James 1:22 (NRSV)
Kind words are like honey, sweet to the soul” – Proverbs 16:24.
Sara posted above, “Psalm 19:14 (NKJV) – “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart Be acceptable in Your sight, O LORD, my strength and my Redeemer.”
This verse was in one of my last night devotionals that I thought related… “Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers.” Ephesians 4: 29
Debi’s devotional scripture gave me the idea some of us may need an exercise regime for our tongues and mouths.
I dance in the connective of TRUTH!
“The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it. The world and all its people belong to him. For he laid the earth’s foundation on the seas and built it on the ocean depths. Who may climb the mountain of the Lord? Who may stand in his holy place? Only those whose hands and hearts are pure, who do not worship idols and never tell lies. They will receive the Lord’s blessing and have a right relationship with God their savior. Such people may seek you and worship in your presence, O God of Jacob. Interlude Open up, ancient gates! Open up, ancient doors, and let the King of glory enter. Who is the King of glory? The Lord, strong and mighty; the Lord, invincible in battle. Open up, ancient gates! Open up, ancient doors, and let the King of glory enter. Who is the King of glory? The Lord of Heaven’s Armies— he is the King of glory.
Psalms 24:1-10 NLT
https://bible.com/bible/116/psa.24.1-10.NLT
“The Lord is near to all who call on him,
to all who call on him in truth.”
—Psalm 145:18 (NRSV)
“I dance in the connective of TRUTH!”
As I thought on these words from Sara, and what ‘truth’ means, the first scripture verse that came to mind to help define was the words of Jesus, God Himself, who said, ““I am the way and the truth and the life.” (John 14:6).
One online definition of truth I found was: “the body of real things, events, and facts”.
Then I wanted to find out more about the “dance” Sara spoke of, and went to one of her retreat books, “The Dance of Healing – The “Ultra-Healing Spirit comes from within”. She told us there that in order to “be established in truth” we should “Bring to Remembrance: God’s words that you would like to see sprout in your soul”.
Affirming the definition, “the body of real things, events, and facts”, I saw on pg. 13 in her retreat book, that “the study of God’s word “addresses real things, events and facts that are truths that we should know about, and that can help us to understand what Sara quoted from the scriptures: “The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it…“Who is the King of glory?…and to help us “call on him in truth.”
She said in her book that “God’s word is:
Architectural – art with structure (Study Ezekiel’s vision, chapters 40-42)
Archaeological – a study of science by digging up ancient civilizations (people and times) (Ps. 85:11) “Truth shall spring out of the earth.” (Luke 19:40) “Stones shall cry out.”
Medicinal – the Word within. (John1:51) …you shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man.” (Study all of John 1)
Agricultural – cultivating the authentic self, who you really are according to Jesus, the master farmer, builder, teacher and physician and always SOMETHING MORE. Eternity! (Isaiah 57:15) “…Says the High and Holy One, who inhabits Eternity, whose name is Holy, I dwell in the high and holy place to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones”
Thanks Debi, your comment from your studies bring to mind a Hymn released about 1905! Over 100 years ago and it delights my soul each time I hear truth written, spoken or sung,
🎼🎤“ … Sing them over again to me, wonderful words of life,
Let me more of their beauty see, wonderful words of life;
Words of life and beauty teach me faith and duty.
… Beautiful words, wonderful words, wonderful words of life,
Beautiful words, wonderful words, wonderful words of life.
… Christ, the blessèd One, gives to all wonderful words of life;…”🎹
What a contrast of uses of the tongue… what Tammy wrote really shows the evil use of it and Sara writes of its Godly us: graciousness, kindness and “wonderful words of life”.
I noticed in Tammy’s scripture that the evil tongue is also “restless”. I found that to be opposite the word “meditation” in Sara’s scripture and the benefit and need of ‘meditation’ in her words, “When you meditate on the sunflower and bee you have a full circle connective power to God, humans and nature.” Perhaps our tongues could be better ‘tamed’ if we would practice this art that Sara writes about.
Yes, Debi…” Perhaps our tongues could be better ‘tamed’ if we would practice this art that Sara writes about.”
WOW! I give thanks! 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼🩷🩷🩷
Sara, that verse you posted from Proverbs 16, and the verse Debi shared from Psalm 19, communicate to the readers, that kind words and words pleasing to God, are the sounds that should be coming from our mouths? After reading this blog….I could not leave the site without posting what came to my mind, and it has to do with the “tongue.” It is in the Book of James, chapter 3. Read with me, James 3 (NLT) “Dear brothers and sisters, not many of you should become teachers in the church, for we who teach will be judged more strictly. Indeed, we all make many mistakes. For if we could control our tongues, we would be perfect and could also control ourselves in every other way. We can make a large horse go wherever we want by means of a small bit in its mouth. And a small rudder makes a huge ship turn wherever the pilot chooses to go, even though the winds are strong. 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. And 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. People can tame all kinds of animals, birds, reptiles, and fish, but no one can tame the tongue. It is restless and evil, full of deadly poison. Sometimes it praises our Lord and Father, and sometimes it curses those who have been made in the image of God. And so blessing and cursing come pouring out of the same mouth. Surely, my brothers and sister, this is not right! Does a spring of water bubble out with both fresh water and bitter water? Does a fig tree produce olives, or a grapevine produce figs? No, and you can’t draw fresh water from a salty spring.”
The footnotes for verse 6 further explains: “James compares the damage the tongue can do to a raging fire–the tongue’s wickedness has its source in hell itself. The uncontrolled tongue can do terrible damage. Satan uses the tongue to divide people and pit them against one another. Idle and hateful words are damaging because they spread destructions quickly, and no one can stop the results once they are spoken. We dare not be careless with what we say, thinking we can apologize later, because even if we do, the scars remain. A few words spoken in anger can destroy a relationship that took years to build. Before you speak, remember that words are like fire–you can neither control nor reverse the damage they can do.”
Sara, maybe this will help with some thoughts on that exercise regimen for our tongues and mouths?
Thanks Tammy for being diligent in posting these footnotes. These notes surely give us reason to take our words seriouslyl. The part about apologizing later yet leaving a scar and no one can stop the results once they are spoken should put the fear of God in us I would think.
“Satan uses the tongue to divide people and pit them against one another. Idle and hateful words are damaging because they spread destructions quickly, and no one can stop the results once they are spoken. We dare not be careless with what we say, thinking we can apologize later, because even if we do, the scars remain. A few words spoken in anger can destroy a relationship that took years to build. Before you speak, remember that words are like fire–you can neither control nor reverse the damage they can do.”
Think of our personal, family, churches, communities and nations in turmoil because of our tongues. And, the words, Satan uses our tongues….