Deuteronomy chapter 1 verse 28 (NIV)
“‘ Where can we go? Our brothers have made our hearts melt in fear. They say, ‘The people are stronger and taller than we are; the cities are large, with walls up to the sky. We even saw the Anakites there.’”
Colossians chapter 4 verse 6 (NIV)
Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.
The verse in Deuteronomy is a reminder of why we need to be very careful when giving advice to others. If we are not careful about what we say, we may cause someone to take a course of action that they may later regret. The ten spies report made the people afraid, and their fear of the people of Canaan, linked with their lack of faith was to cost them dearly. We may well be right in some instances to want to encourage someone not to press ahead with a course of action, but we need to be sure that we are advising them correctly.
Paul told the Colossian church that if their conversation was seasoned with salt and full of grace, they would always know how to correctly answer people because we will also be be prompted by the Holy Spirit. If we do that, then we will be a help to others when they need it, instead of a hindrance .
Dear Lord,
Help me to be careful to ensure that my conversation is always seasoned with salt and full of grace, so that I will be able to answer people in the way that Jesus would. I ask in His Name. Amen.