Truth #165 - What's in the well comes up in the bucket - Proverbs 4

Proverbs 4:24
Put away from you a deceitful mouth
And put devious speech far from you.

Truth:   What is in the well comes up in the bucket

The mouth of a person is a gateway to their heart.  You know a lot about a person by listening to their speech and their talk.   Solomon is warning us in this proverb that those who have a deceitful mouth and devious speech should be avoided ... why?  Because their tongue is simply a billboard for their heart.   A deceitful tongue reveals a deceitful heart.   Devious speech betrays a devious heart.   What does Solomon say we should do when we find ourselves in the midst of such talk and such hearts?  He tells us to "put away" those who are such and to put them "far from you."   We are not to engage in a discussion with them in hopes of changing their way of life.  When we find they are devious we are to separate ourselves.   And, we are not to separate ourselves a little ... but put the "far" from us.   When we fail to do so we are allowing their speech ... their hearts ... to draw us into their corrupt world.   We don't keep ourselves pure by mixing with such language.  We keep ourselves pure by avoiding and separating form such language.   A deceitful tongue is to be avoided at all cost.   Don't try to mingle with it and be with it ... the tongue is simply revealing a heart that is bound to corrupt.