“A word aptly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver.” Proverbs 25:11
Anyone familiar with God’s word knows that He pays a lot of attention to our words. There are many verses throughout the Bible that tell us not to gossip, or not to lie, or to encourage one another. These are all things that I’ve struggled with in the past. Okay, maybe not just in the past. I used to work at a place where gossip and complaining were rampant. That’s what the conversations almost always consisted of in the lunch room. I tried changing the subject, but that did no good. I tried ignoring the conversation, hoping the speakers would get the hint. They never did. So I finally gave up and ate lunch in my car every day. I was being pretty spiritual, wasn’t I? After all, I was avoiding temptation by running from it. Right? That may have been part of it but I can’t say that was completely the case. If I did, I’d be falling into the next trap I mentioned, which is to lie.
Other translations of this verse may not use the word, “aptly.” Instead, they may something like, “timely advice,” or “spoken at the right time.” Either of those are closer to the meaning of the original Hebrew. In other words, just not speaking isn’t an option. Hiding out in my car so I don’t have to face the gossipers isn’t mentioned here. Neither does this suggest that I blast them with the word of God. However, at the right time, using the right words, God may have been able to use my words to bring His light into that rather dark situation.
That brings me to the next point I mentioned, which is not speaking encouragement. This is another failing of mine. If I’m pleased or impressed with person A, I’m much more likely to brag about them to person B than I am to tell person A to their face what a good job they did. I don’t know that it’s a bad thing to tell others, but I should also be telling the person who may need to hear that what they’re doing is making a difference. It’s that timing thing again. Why wait to tell someone else? When you notice someone doing something well or right or trying hard or whatever, why not tell them so right then? God just may be using you to encourage the very person who needs it most.
There’s quite a bit of opinion on what “apples of gold in settings of silver” means. Is it actually apples, or some other fruit? Is it fruit in a silver basket, or on a silver tray? Or maybe it’s a piece of finely formed jewelry. No one has asked for my opinion on the subject but here it is: it doesn’t matter. The one thing that everyone seems to agree on is that it would be valuable. The right word spoken at the right time is more valuable than any amount of money or precious metal. How can we know what we’re supposed to say and when we’re supposed to say it? That’s where the Holy Spirit comes in. If we are living our lives in tune with Him, if we’re seeking to know Him and follow Him, He will give us those words right when we need them. The thing is, we may never know what an impact our words had until heaven. That’s okay. God and the other person both know, and that’s all that matters.