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APPLES OF GOLD IN SETTINGS OF SILVER
Today's verse: "A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver." Proverbs 25:11 NKJV
This is one of my favorite passages in the Bible. Like an unexpected treasure at the bottom of a child’s cereal box, a compliment or word of encouragement at just the right moment can lift our spirits and brighten our day, causing us to smile and to reach out to others in the process. In this case, one person can truly make a difference in the world as smiles are spread along our journey.
Let us consider the story of the Ethiopian eunuch (a servant of the queen) in Acts 8:26-31:
26Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, "Go south to the road—the desert road—that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza." 27So he started out, and on his way he met an Ethiopian eunuch, an important official in charge of all the treasury of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians. This man had gone to Jerusalem to worship, 28and on his way home was sitting in his chariot reading the book of Isaiah the prophet. 29The Spirit told Philip, "Go to that chariot and stay near it." 30Then Philip ran up to the chariot and heard the man reading Isaiah the prophet. "Do you understand what you are reading?" Philip asked. 31"How can I," he said, "unless someone explains it to me?" So he invited Philip to come up and sit with him.
Imagine how the man felt upon struggling with a Bible passage and then unexpectedly having a stranger notice and explain it to him. Needing such a person as Philip to enter his life, the eunuch was saved on that very day. Today, we can be that same source of inspiration by telling others about Christ and salvation. Many precious souls are dying around us, lost in sin without hope, unless we study the Bible with them and give them a reason for hope.
Many of us have been saved because a friend or family member took the time to teach us the truth. God bless those special people who entered our lives and helped us along the way just as Philip did the eunuch. We can borrow from their example as we seek to save others.
Additionally, one small compliment may be just the very thing someone needs to hear that very moment. How many sisters might be encouraged by the fact that we love them? Just as a wife needs to hear that she is loved by her husband, others need to be reminded, too. It has been said that we are Christ’s hands to help others, Christ’s feet to go visit and Christ’s heart to share with others. Jesus tells us that we are the “light of the world” (Matthew 5:14). Given today’s “give me” society, lights are desperately needed to illuminate the pathway to our Lord.
So how can we share those beautiful apples of gold with others? Just a few ideas are:
* Smiling and thanking the cashier even if she is as slow as molasses
* Allowing an obviously stressed driver to pass us (even when passing only saves them about .0001 seconds on their commute)
* Waving at the people we pass in our neighborhood
* Allowing an elderly person or someone with fewer items to skip us in the grocery line
* Telling others they are in our prayers and meaning it (keep a notebook and write the person and situation to ensure you remember)
* Sending a “just thinking of you” card to someone who is having a bad day
* Sneaking a gift card for a local restaurant into the desk of a single parent or a coworker who’s on a very tight budget
* Asking God’s blessing on others and forgiving those who hurt us
As we journey through life, we can surely find plenty of opportunities to brighten others’ day if we look for them. We just might find that our own day is brightened as well as we seek to lift others and give God the glory.
Have a beautiful day filled with golden apples in settings of silver!
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