A SERIES OF DEVOTIONS BASED ON PAUL’S LETTER TO THE EPHESIANS 

USE WHOLESOME WORDS  

Ephesians 5:4 “Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving.”   

Native American’s said of the Caucasians who negotiated treaties with them that they (the Caucasians) “spoke with a forked tongue.” Doublespeak is a word that means according to Wikipedia, “language that deliberately obscures, disguises, distorts, or reverses the meaning of words.” Jesus taught, “But the things that come out of a person’s mouth come from the heart, and these defile them. For out of the heart come evil thoughts—murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander. These are what defile a person . . .” (Matthew 15:18-20) 

Vulgarity, impure words, crude language are common place in American conversation. Words that your mother or father would have washed out your mouth for saying when you were a child are now spoken openly and regularly in conversations at many levels. Many of the words considered normal today are an abhorrence to the Lord.   

What if the words you spoke in a given day were all recorded? Would you be comfortable playing them back in front of your ten-year-old grandchild? An even more serious question is, would you speak them if Jesus was standing right next to you? In truth Jesus, your heavenly Father and the Holy Spirit, the Triune God, do hear every word that comes out of your mouth. Worse yet, they know every one of your thoughts. And, worse than that they know the condition of your heart. Remember, “ . . . out of the heart come evil thoughts—murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander. These are what defile a person . . .” 

Take to heart St. Paul’s words in Ephesians 4:29, “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.” “Therefore,” St. Paul urges, “. . . encourage one another and build each other up . . .” (1 Thessalonians 5:11) God has given you His Word to speak: “Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.” (Colossians 3:16-17) 

Prayer: “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart, O Lord, be acceptable in Your sight.” In Jesus’ name. Amen. 

Almighty God, Your Word is cast
Like seed into the ground;
Now let the dew of heav’n descend
And righteous fruits abound. 

Let not the sly satanic foe
This holy seed remove,
But give it root in ev’ry heart
To bring forth fruits of love. 

Let not the world’s deceitful cares
The rising plant destroy,
But let it yield a hundredfold
The fruits of peace and joy. 

So when the precious seed is sown,
Life giving grace bestow
That all whose souls the truth receive
Its saving pow’r may know.  (LSB 577)