RUSSELL SANDERS
11-4-2025
CHOOSE MERCIFUL WORDS

God instructs us to “call no man a fool.” However, the Bible clearly defines the atheist as a fool. Psalm 14:1 says, “The fool hath said in his heart ‘there is no God.’”

Neither you nor I said it. God said it. Yet, you and I must be careful not to quote Psalm 141:1 as if it were our own opinion. We are not God, so we cannot call any person a fool. We can only quote the scripture of what God Himself said. We do not know all that God knows, because we cannot truly see a person’s heart the way He can. We often think that we know, but we really do not know.

Only God knows the secrets of a person’s heart. We judge them by the externals, but God sees the internals. We should be careful to judge no man. We must be merciful because God is merciful. His mercy has no end and no limit. Our mercy has limits.

Matthew 5:7 says, “Blessed are the merciful for they shall obtain mercy.” This is the opposite of the popular secular saying “what goes around, comes around.” Be careful of what you say because words are powerful. Proverbs 18:21a says, “Death and life are in the power of the tongue.” We should not be critical of others with our words. Show mercy and love to others; even to those we dislike. God loves them whether we do or not.