Job opens his mouth in empty talk. He multiplies words without knowledge.
– Job 35:16
This is the end of this chapter and Elihu’s condemnation of Job. And while we won’t get into all that Elihu has said that has been helpful or unhelpful here at the end, it sounds a lot like the counsel that Job has been getting from his other friends. But despite all of that, just let this verse soak in.
Job 35:16 encourages us to make sure our words are significant.
Job opens his mouth and empty talk. He multiplies words without knowledge. Is that possible for you or me to do, to open our mouths and empty talk and multiply words without knowledge? I read this verse and I think I want to make sure my words count and I don’t open my mouth and empty talk. That what I say is good and right and pleasing to God and helpful for others.
And not just what I speak, but what I write, what I email or post or whatever it might be, that we would not multiply our words without knowledge, that our words would reflect the wisdom of God. I just want you to think about all the words you will speak or write today in your life or tomorrow in your life, and what would it look like to be intentional, to guard your every word to speak that which is good, right? Pleasing to God, helpful to others, and not just what we say out of the overflow of the heart. The mouth speaks so at the core of who we are to guard, to discipline ourselves when it comes to our thoughts and our desires, to think wisely, to desire that which is good in ways that lead us to speak wisely and speak that which is good.
We need God’s help. James 3 makes clear that the tongue is a world of evil among the parts of the body, corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell. No man tamed the tongue on his own. We need the Spirit of God by his grace to help us speak that which is good and ripe all day long. So can we just pray for that?
Job 35:16 reminds us to speak in a way that pleases God.
God, help us to speak in ways that are pleasing to you, and at all times, God help us to guard our mouths. Help us to speak in a way that demonstrates we love you with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength and we love others as ourselves. God, change what comes out of our mouths. Transform us and what comes out of our pens and screens as we write emails, messages, texts, or posts for social media.
God help us to be wise in all that we say… And not just to guard our words but our thoughts. Help us in a 2 Corinthians 10:5 kind of way to take every thought captive to obey Jesus… And in the process, to experience a life you’ve designed for us to live and show the love you’ve called us to show. And God, we pray that from our mouths, from what we communicate today.
We pray for boldness to communicate the gospel… To share the good news of who you are and your love for others. God, help us in our interactions with other brothers and sisters in Christ today to edify them. And God, when our interactions with people who don’t know you… God, give us boldness to weave threads of the gospel into the fabric of our conversations. That they would be seasoned with salt as Paul praised in a way that points people to who you are.
Prayer for the Bashkir People
God, we pray for people who don’t have Christians around them to share the gospel with them. Lord, we pray specifically today for the Bashkir people of southwestern Russia and Belarus… This Muslim people group of over a million and a half people. God, we pray for the spread of the gospel throughout Russia, especially during these days of war. We pray for the spread of the gospel of peace and people’s hearts, specifically among the Bashkir people. We pray for your blessing on our brothers and sisters in Russia… Either among the Bashkir or near the Bashkir. That they would speak the gospel to those who’ve never heard it among the Bashkir. We pray all of this according to your Word. Help us to guard and glorify you with our words. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.
David Platt serves as a pastor in metro Washington, D.C. He is the founder of Radical.
David received his Ph.D. from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary and is the author of Don’t Hold Back, Radical, Follow Me, Counter Culture, Something Needs to Change, Before You Vote, as well as the multiple volumes of the Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary series.
Along with his wife and children, he lives in the Washington, D.C. metro area.
