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“A man will be satisfied with good by the fruit of his mouth, and the recompense of a man’s hands will be rendered to him.”  Proverbs 12:13, NKJ

Now there is an interesting word that we rarely hear used:  recompense.  What in the fudge does that word mean?  The Hebrew is g^emûwl, pronounced ghem-ool´; means treatment as in an act of good or harm.  The implication in today’s text is that it’s an equitable payback in the form of a reward for good or punishment for evil.  King Solomon’s Proverbs are full of this thought:  “So they shall eat of the fruit of their own way and be satiated with their own devices” Proverbs 1:31, NAS; “From the fruit of a man’s mouth he enjoys good, but the desire of the treacherous is violence” Proverbs 13:2, NAS; “A man has joy in an apt answer, and how delightful is a timely word” Proverbs 15:23, NAS;  “With the fruit of a man’s mouth his stomach will be satisfied; he will be satisfied with the product of his lips” Proverbs 18:20, NAS;  “If you say, ‘See, we did not know this,’ does He not consider it who weighs the hearts?  And does He not know it who keeps your soul?  And will He not render to man according to his work?” Proverbs 24:12, NAS.  Not only Solomon but other Old Testament personalities have conveyed the same message:  Elihu – “For He pays a man according to his work, and makes him find it according to his way” Job 34:11, NAS;  Isaiah – “Say to the righteous that it will go well with them, for they will eat the fruit of their actions.  Woe to the wicked! It will go badly with him, for what he deserves will be done to him” Isaiah 3:10-11, NAS; and King David – “And lovingkindness is Yours, O Lord, for You recompense a man according to his work” Psalms 62:12, NAS. 

There is plenty of reason to be cautious about our words and deeds.  We should be careful about our vows, judgments and the imposition of our ideas for selfish means.  Caution doesn’t necessarily mean that we should fear.  Today’s text isn’t like a buzzard on a high wire.  It’s not that kind of message.  We just need to be aware that the product out of our mouth and from our hands has a return… literally.  I like the fact that Solomon encourages us to speak the good fruit, the sweet refreshment of a person’s heart.  By speaking that kind of blessing, we actually heap a blessing back upon ourselves.  Oh, how we need this truth cycled over and over in our life!

I’m asked all the time, “What does it mean to be a prophetic person?”  It means that you speak and live in a life element.  You understand that what you say, what you do, really does push stuff around in the spirit realm.   And when you push stuff around in the spirit realm, you can expect feedback.  Good for good and bad for bad.  It’s that simple really.  Speak life, give life, be life and you’ll get life in return!

Please take a minute and read Matthew 12:33-37.  List 5 truths of revelation out of this passage.  Is any of this new to you?  How do you practically apply what you’ve read and heard today?

More from the project.  Hope it helps!  -MDP-

“He who covers a transgression seeks love, but he who repeats a matter separates friends”  Proverbs 17:9, NKJ ;  “He who conceals a transgression seeks love, but he who repeats a matter separates intimate friends.”  Proverbs 17:9, NAS

What a valuable gem this verse is to the Body of Christ!  This very morning, I awoke to headlines in the national news about a young man who was arrested for public intoxication and indecency.   It is St Patrick’s Day, so I figured the guy was just getting an early start.  The problem is that this man’s face and name is attached to a movement that has gained national attention to bring justice to a tyrant that is exploiting children in a third world country!  This thing has actually caught momentum with our government officials and military!  My first thought when I first saw the headline was:  WTH?… I hate the ^#@%*’n devil!  My second thought was:  wonder who is going to love this guy through this Niagara Falls of shame that is about to hammer down on him?  The third thought was: we need to focus on the good here (stopping crimes against children), keep moving forward and not get emotionally hung up and lose momentum because of one person’s stumbling.  Surely, we can get past this tiny blip on the radar?  Right… surely we can?  Right?

Scripture is full of instructions and encouragement to forgive and restore people from their stumbling.  Even when Peter questioned the Lord about how many times is forgiveness appropriate, he got a response that pretty much spoke to all of us that forgiveness is always required… yeah, every single time.  Here, check it out for yourself:  Matthew 18:21-22 and Luke 17:3-4.

The red-letter stuff is serious business no doubt, but the thing I saw in today’s Proverb was the process of love in any act of real restoration.  The Hebrew word for conceal or covers means to plump, to fill up the gaps; and by implication it suggests to cover one’s shame or nakedness; to hide a person who is overwhelmed or exposed.   I think it’s probably not necessary to point this out, but I will anyway, we hide them for their benefit and not because we are embarrassed or we’re trying to deny something.  The fact that we are vested in them, regardless of their crap, confirms that we are well aware of the failure and are clearly in touch with the fact that we are also vulnerable to moral failure.  But, giving them the space, covering, filling the gaps, protecting their heart, as they attempt to rebound from the bump in their road, is the same way the Lord has restored all of us.  This is totally the love of Jesus!  People who are hurting because of their own sin or bad choices, can’t be loved any better than this.  Solomon also gives us a contrast:  the person who is lovingly restored, but won’t change and continues to sin.  We already have our orders that we have to forgive, but their cycle of sin does separate them from those who have already shown a vast capacity to love them through their mess.  This is where we have to trust God that eventually they’ll open their eyes and see the gift they have had in your covering love.

How comfortable are you with talking about the moral failures of people you know or know of in the public’s eye?  What emotions surface in you when you get a bad report on someone?  What’s the hardest walk you’ve ever made with another person’s sin?