TODAY’S DEVOTIONAL PASSAGE

DEVOTIONAL

by Marian L. Ang

Nature demonstrates timeless truths. We can learn many lessons from God’s wonderful creations.  

The metamorphosis of the butterfly teaches us the importance of waiting, just as the caterpillar takes time to transform into a cocoon before it eventually morphs into a beautiful butterfly.

The hummingbird, one of God’s wonderful creatures, drinks the nectar of flowers with high sugar content. Today’s passage tells us to intentionally look for opportunities to speak gracious words of affirmation amidst the culture of negativity and cancellation. When this world teaches us to criticize and demean others, our words are to be like a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones.  

This is not to say that we are to speak falsehood or flatter people for the sake of speaking sweet words because the Bible admonishes us also to speak the truth in love, a command found in Ephesians 4:15. While we are to share difficult truths, we need to speak in a gentle, kind, loving, and unoffensive manner so that the hard truths are more readily accepted by the listener. Truth without love is brutality because when words are harsh, the spirit is crushed. Truth with love is soothing to the soul, like a tree of life.

PRAYER

Heavenly Father, we thank You for the timeless truths we can learn from Your creation. Teach us patience as we wait for transformation like the caterpillar in its cocoon. Help us to intentionally speak gracious words of affirmation in a culture filled with negativity, following Your command to speak the truth in love. May our words be like a honeycomb, bringing healing and life to others’ souls. We humbly ask these, in Jesus’ name, amen.