A Word Fitly Spoken

'Tis the time of the year that we think of apples.

Apples for the teacher.

Apple trees full of fruit, and all of the deliciousness we can make from them.

The birthday of Johnny Appleseed.

But there is one special use of the word apples that I love.

As someone who takes words very seriously, whether through blogging, writing, speaking, and hearing them, Proverbs 25:11 has become a special verse to me.

A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in pictures of silver.

Our words can be a balm of healing or a dagger to cause pain.

Words can build up a person over time or wound them irreparably.

Apples are a beautiful fruit to look at, and when bunched together they have been the basis of some great works of art. How much more beautiful would a gathering of gold apples be in a setting of silver?

Now imagine your words as a gathering of apples?

Are your words beautiful? Do they conjure up feelings of beauty, worth, and truth in others? Or do they leave others feeling worthless, broken, and ugly?

As you speak today, picture each word being placed in a setting. Are your words apples of gold in pictures of silver or are they rotten apples in a worn basket?