One Year Bible Reading Guide:

Deuteronomy 28:1-68
Luke 11:14-36
Psalm 77:1-20
Proverbs 12:18 

Verse of the day:

The words of the reckless pierce like swords, but the tongue of the wise brings healing. (Psalm 12:18)

I don’t have a pierced ear or any piercings for that matter, but I have been pierced.  When I was four, I was pierced in the side by a .22 bullet.  When I was 5 I was pierced in the leg with a pitchfork.  As a teenager I was pierced in the arm by pieces of glass that fell from a building.  As a teen I was also pierced in my knee by a rock after falling while skiing.  As an adult I have been pierced with a surgeon’s scalpel a few times. I know that when you are pierced by something it hurts.  Psalm 12:18 says words can “pierce like swords”.  Words can hurt.

When I was thinking about this word “pierce”, Isaiah 53:11 came to mind.  There is the part that says “he was pierced for our transgressions”.  When we think of Jesus being pierced for our sins, we think of the thorns in His head, the nails in His hands and feet and the spear in His side and rightly so.  But Jesus was pierced with words too.  He was betrayed (Mark14:44-45), lied about (Mark 14:57), disowned (Mark 14:71), unjustly sentenced (Mark 15:12-15), mocked (Mark 15:18-20, 31) and insulted (Mark 15:29).  If you’ve been hurt by words you’re not alone. Jesus understands.  Bring your hurt to Him.

Just as words can bring pain, they can also bring healing.  From the cross came healing words from the wisest of tongues. Jesus said in Luke 23:34, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.”  When Jesus was being pierced by hurtful words from His friends and enemies He chose to speak wise words of healing.  Even in the midst of hurtful words, speak healing.  So with our words, let us be wise and not reckless and bring healing not hurt.