Lips that Feed

Proverbs 10:21: "The lips of the righteous feed many, but fools die for lack of sense."

Lips, of course, refers to words, to the speech of the righteous. How can words "feed"? Words can feed the HEART, the SOUL. Remember Jesus' words in Matthew 4:4, "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God."

Man eats bread to live, but bread alone does not nourish true life. True life, spiritual life, is nourished by the Word of God. This tells us HOW the righteous' lips feed many, they feed the hearts and souls of people by sharing with them, speaking to them, the Word of God.

Note:

• The righteous' lips are characterized by the truth, the Word, of God.
• The righteous' speech is designed to build up, give life to, feed and nourish the heart of others. It will be an intentional thing and it will be an overflow of their righteous life.
• It is the lips of the RIGHTEOUS that feed many. This would seem to refer to those who are practically wise and obedient to God's Word, not the fools they are contrasted with. Of course, this can only be those saved by grace through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, but the emphasis here is on the practically righteous, whose ways align with wisdom.
• The lips of the righteous feed MANY. That is, it is their LIFESTYLE to speak the Word of God to others. This would seem to indicate that their very way of looking at all things is formed by the Word of God and therefore their speech, whether commenting on, warning against, encouraging, or any other type of speech will be guided by and full of the Word of God.

Note Also:

• Fools die for lack of sense: That is, they have no appetite for the words of the righteous that feed the soul. They will not listen to God's Word and gain wisdom...therefore they destroy themselves, limited to their own wisdom. Their souls starve to death on the wisdom of the world.

Implications:

• Am I righteous? Do I live in obedience to the wisdom of God found in His Word? If not, I don't have much to say that will feed the souls of others.
• Am I immersed in the Word of God? This is what man lives by...are my words giving to others the living bread of the Word?
• Do I intend to speak to others to build them up? Ephesians 4:29 is excellent here.
• Do I listen to others, especially those who are wise and righteous? God has fresh bread from Heaven's ovens for me through the lips of the righteous around me...do I have ears to hear so that my soul may be fed?