“The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life, but the mouth of the wicked conceals violence.” (Proverbs 10:11-21, NASB)

I titled today’s devotional: Find your true voice. It calls on the believers to become a voice of wisdom, knowledge, truth, and love in life rather than a voice of slander, hatred, falsehood, and violence. It calls on us to be a voice for God’s kingdom in the midst of many voices in the world that are fleshly, worldly, and even demonic. It is because the true voice for God is not about being polite, but about becoming a spiritual source of life, peace, and love. When our hearts are aligned with God, our words become a refreshing spring that sustains others. It says in today’s passage,

“The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life, but the mouth of the wicked conceals violence. Hatred stirs up strife, but love covers all transgressions. On the lips of the discerning, wisdom is found, but a rod is for the back of him who lacks understanding. Wise men store up knowledge, but with the mouth of the foolish, ruin is at hand. The rich man’s wealth is his fortress, the ruin of the poor is their poverty. The wages of the righteous is life, the income of the wicked, punishment. He is on the path of life who heeds instruction, but he who forsakes reproof goes astray. He who conceals hatred has lying lips, and he who spreads slander is a fool. When there are many words, transgression is unavoidable, but he who restrains his lips is wise. The tongue of the righteous is as choice silver, the heart of the wicked is worth little. The lips of the righteous feed many, but fools die for lack of understanding.”

The power of a true Christian voice is not found in its volume, but in its source, and our source is God Himself. It’s not about how loudly we speak, but how truthful we are to the words of God. As followers of Christ, we find our true voice when we come to know God’s voice. When we have Jesus enthroned in our hearts, who is the living Word, we allow his voice to bring people to God so they can understand His kingdom purpose. To me, finding your true voice is not about searching yourself for self-expression but about seeking to know and understand every word that comes out of the mouth of God. Proverbs 2:6 says, “For the LORD gives wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding.”

Verse 11 describes the mouth of the righteous as a “fountain of life,” a striking contrast to the mouth of the wicked, which “conceals violence.” When we allow God’s words to fill our hearts and minds, the Holy Spirit will teach, guide, and even give us words to speak (Lk.12:12). This is how we become a fountain of life. We become a voice of God’s redemption and a house of wisdom that benefits many. In contrast, the mouth of the wicked is an instigator of hatred, violence, and death. It shows the true nature of the wicked person’s heart. It is because the mouth speaks that which fills the heart, and their true voice is the voice of the devil.

Once, Jesus rebuked the Pharisees, “You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature; for he is a liar, and the father of lies” (Jn.8:44). Even though the Pharisees were religious and studied the Scriptures, they concealed “violence” in their mouths by trying to stone an adulterous woman, and eventually Jesus too. He pointed out to them that their actions revealed the true source, the devil, who was the source of murder, violence, and lies. I love how verse 19 says, “When there are many words, transgression is unavoidable, but he who restrains his lips is wise.” It calls us to filter our speech and speak only what edifies, rather than speaking impulsively and without thinking. Let’s be a fountain of life rather than a cesspool of hatred and violence.

• What do you think it means to be a “fountain of life” with your mouth?
• What are some steps we can take to ensure that we channel God’s voice rather than the voice of the world, the flesh, and the devil?