Speech: Everybody thinks that others talk too much. "If only they would shut up and listen to me!" The book of Proverbs favors silence by far, or the very spare use of words by the wise. Prov 17:27,28 say, "A man of knowledge uses words with restraint, and a man of understanding is even-tempered. Even a fool is thought wise if he keeps silent, and discerning if he holds his tongue." So, even fools who imitate the wise in their silence may appear wise! Can I learn self-restraint and self-control in my speech, emails, blogs and body language? This is an excellent and painful question!
Testing: Prov 17:3 says, "The crucible for silver and the furnace for gold, but the Lord tests the heart." (Jer 17:10; Ps 26:2) How does God test us to find out what's really in our hearts? By adversity. God's trials are constructive. Fiery tests are not for finding a person out, but for sorting him out. The fiery test is not to destroy, but to refine, for God uses our experiences to improve us (1 Pet 1:6,7).
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