Study and Answer, Righteous Heart

“The heart of the righteous studieth to answer” (Proverbs 15:28a, Geneva Bible).

• Prerequisite: “...that which is through the faith of Christ, even the righteousness which is of God through faith” (Philippians 3:9).
• Means: “Study to show thyself approved unto God a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, dividing the Word of truth aright” (2 Timothy 2:15).
• Fruit: “A soft answer putteth away wrath...a wholesome tongue is as a tree of life...the lips of the wise do spread abroad knowledge...a joy cometh to a man by the answer of his mouth: and how good is a word in due season...the pure have pleasant words” (Proverbs 15:1a,4a,7a,23,26b).

Meditations in Slander

“A righteous man hateth lying words: but the wicked causeth slander and shame” (Proverbs 13:5, Geneva Bible).

Praying with a brother today over slander hurting his heart:

• “Lord, who shall dwell in Thy Tabernacle? Who shall rest in Thine holy Mountain...he that slandereth not with his tongue” (Psalm 15:1,3).
• “My confusion is daily before me...for the voice of the slanderer...yet do we not forget Thee, neither deal we falsely concerning Thy covenant. Our heart is not turned back: neither our steps gone out of Thy paths” (Psalm 44:15-17).
• “...he that inventeth slander, is a fool” (Proverbs 10:18).
• “Then said Jesus, ‘...those things which proceed out of the mouth, come from the heart, and they defile the man. For out of the heart come...slanders. These are the things which defile the man’” (Matthew 15:18-20).

Lord, may Your Tabernacle (the Church), Your rest, Your covenant, and Your paths in Christ be balm for the slander-grieved heart.