Yesterday was one of “those” days. I’m confident you know exactly what I mean.
One frustrating situation after another.
The kind of day that makes you want to throw in the towel, and go off all alone, find a dark room, and sulk.
Yep. That was yesterday.
But something interesting happened last night. While sulking, focusing of the negative, on what I had to worry about or feel angry about, I received a text message.
This text was from someone who probably had no idea how bad my day had been. Yet the words in this message totally changed the game for me.
They were encouraging.
Hopeful.
Energizing.
I woke up this morning a brand new man. Without even realizing it, those words, that I read and re-read more than once, had somehow actually changed my disposition.
Which brings me to my point: Words matter.
They can heal or wound.
Build up or tear down.
Give life or take it.
The writer of Proverbs puts it like this:
Pleasant words are like a honeycomb,
sweetness to the soul and health to the body. [16v24, NRSV]
And, the reverse is just as true:
Rash words are like sword thrusts… [12v18, NRSV]
So, today, let’s think deeply about what we are saying to each other. Let’s ask how these words we are about to speak will affect those who hear them. Let’s offer the gift of encouraging, hopeful, live-giving words.
Trust me, they make all the difference on one of “those” days.
Josh Scott 
Oh man! This happened to me yesterday too. Was feeling kinda down and trying to keep my head up, when a friend texted me some encouraging words that came out of nowhere. It felt like a boost of sunshine. And I quoted the exact same verse: “Kind words are like honey—sweet to the soul and healthy for the body.” – Proverbs 16:24
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