Reading your Bible for Today March 26

March 26: Proverbs 26:20-22

KJV Key Verse: Proverbs 26:20
20 Where nowood is, there the fire goeth out: so where there is no talebearer, the strife ceaseth.

Devotion:
I wonder, have you ever studied a large fire like a bonfire. Looking deep into the fire you will see just how hot it gets in the middle, hot enough to melt all manner of things. One of the most surprising things I have seen was to see the aluminium legs of a chair melt in the midst of a fire as if they were silver plastic. Nothing is going to be able to escape when the fire is that hot in the middle! But, pretty soon, the wood has all burned out and the fire cools down again... the only problem for the chair leg was that the damage was done – well and truly done! Fires need fuel in order to continue burning. Once that fuel has been expended, the fire will die out. But given enough fuel, fires can continue to burn for a long time. You can even bring a fire back to life by giving it a bit of fuel just before the last of the embers stops glowing. It does not take too much to get it going again.

Gossip is just like a fire. It will spread just as quickly and it will burn as bright. It will destroy whatever or whomever is in the middle just like the middle of a fire. And, just like a fire, it needs fuel to continue burning. If you add just a small piece of fuel, the gossip fire will continue burning. Just like the fire I watched, everything inside of it can be destroyed. The words and secrets which may be revealed by gossip can destroy people, maybe not as visibly as fire, but certainly from the inside! The wrong words said at the wrong time can bring nations to war, or simply bring one person to their knees. It is not whether those words are true or not which normally matters, but the fact they have been aired in public.

A true word in private may help to allow someone to see their mistakes and allow them time to correct them. But a word in public may well push a person too far. A private word will help you to understand the truth, but a word in public may make you an instant enemy of many. Gossip eats down to the bones. It breaks people’s spirits. It is the silent weapon that everyone fears – yet we don't seem to have any problem using it against others...

Points to Ponder:
Who is the gossip centre in your circle of friends?

How many of Gods children have been hurt by your words? One is too many!