I think it would be appropriate to begin this devotion with the old adage, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure”. Our words are so powerful aren’t they? With them we can either bring encouragement and help, or slander and destruction. Solomon tells us that the wise man will be intentional about the words that are coming out of his mouth. He is on guard as his thoughts are expressed in verbal form, careful that he is not frivolous or irresponsible. While there are many ways that our tongues can produce troubles in our lives, a very common precept that is often neglected, is Proverbs 18:13 - He that answereth a matter before he heareth it, it is folly and shame unto him. The discipline of listening to other people is so important if we are going to communicate effectively. Many times sinful verbal responses come as a result of wrong assumptions. If we would be wise, we will do our best to try and understand others before we begin to address or discuss an event or issue. The faithful filter that God gives us in Ephesians 4:15 is that we ought to be speaking the truth in love. Two safe guards here that will keep us from trouble; Is what I am saying true? Am I loving others by sharing the content or in the way I’m sharing the content? May we strive to abide in Christ, that our words may be influenced by His grace.