To make an apt answer is a joy to a man, and a word in season, how good it is! (Proverbs 15:23, ESV)
For many years, tour caddies were add-ons, a sidecar more than a sidekick. The caddies had friendly nicknames for one another and the players knew what name to write on the check at the end of the week, but only the most avid fans could identify the caddies, and then only a few.
Caddies get much greater due these days. Broadcasters speak of them by name and players include them in the first person plural: we. Caddies today are part of the team, the one member who walks side by side with the player when it counts most. We see them on TV. More than that, we hear them. And the conversations between player-caddie duos have become one of the most popular parts of a telecast. You might even say that some caddies are hired for their words. Do they say the right thing at the right moment when their player is in the hunt?
God wants us to think about what we say and then to say good words.We should all understand the value of the right word at the right time. The same phrase can mean very different things when spoken in different contexts. Sweet nothings between you and your spouse may be deeply appreciated when the two of you are alone, but said in front of a group, they can come across as gratuitous or sappy.
Today’s proverb speaks to the idea of meaningful words made more meaningful when they are delivered “in season.” While it is common to hear the importance of words downplayed, Scripture never does this. God wants us to think about what we say and then to say good words.
What may be the Bible’s oldest book, Job, is an extended lesson on the worth of words. Amid his distress and doubtful questioning, Job’s friends show up. They do their best work when they say nothing. It’s when they start talking that the trouble begins. The content of their words is not bad at all; they are theologically sound. But the spirit and the timing of their words are all wrong. Job’s friends presume knowledge they do not have and add criticism to Job’s pain. It’s a big miss.
Perhaps Solomon had Job’s friends in mind—though more likely it was friends of his own—when he presented his case for the opposite approach: Give a good answer at a good time. If you’re praying for wisdom, you can count on God to give you the right handle on the content and context you need.
—
Jeff Hopper
July 2, 2021
Copyright 2021 Links Players International
The Links Daily Devotional appears Monday-Friday at www.linksplayers.com.
OTHER DEVOTIONS IN THIS SERIES
Oh, To Be Wise 1: Finding Wisdom
Oh, To Be Wise 2: Good Advice
Oh, To Be Wise 3: A Tested Heart
Oh, To Be Wise 4: A Guarded Heart
Oh, To Be Wise 5: A Winning Way
Oh, To Be Wise 7: Loving Discipline
Oh, To Be Wise 8: Equal Before God
Oh, To Be Wise 9: Growing Stronger