Proverbs 10:31,32,  The mouth of the just bringeth forth wisdom: but the froward tongue shall be cut out. The lips of the righteous know what is acceptable: but the mouth of the wicked speaketh frowardness.

I have combined these two proverbs in an attempt to bring the message of both into one proverb.

Combined and amplified they could read this way.

The mouth of the just brings forth the appropriate wisdom in the right way, at the right time, to the right person, with carefulness as to speaking or not speaking, but the froward tongue speaks only frowardness so what is brought forth is not fruit and like the fig tree that was barren when Jesus sought fruit it shall be hewn down.

As we have combined them you can see there is an agricultural aspect to them.

There is a harvest aspect to them for the just man brings forth that which is a blessing but the wicked man brings forth that which is a curse.

It is as if that which the just man brings forth is like a bountiful harvest which will provide food and fruit for many days.

But on the contrary the wicked man simply brings forth wood, hay and stubble which is only good for the fire.

So we have another lesson from God concerning the harvest of the mouth for every mouth brings forth good fruits which bless or no fruit which curses.

If all of your words for the growing season were accumulated as a harvest is accumulated what would be the value of your crop of words?

Would they bless as a good harvest blesses or would they only be fit for the fire?

Now one of the most frequently used words in the book of Proverbs is the word "mouth."

The mouth is a gift of God for the mouth is where words come forth.

We are made in God’s image and in that sense we are given "word" to bring forth as God has brought forth word.

But as is true in anything good, word is corrupted by a corrupt heart.

As Proverbs 4:23 says, you are to,  Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life. Put away from thee a froward mouth, and perverse lips put far from thee.

The just man keeps his heart with all diligence for the mouth of the just brings forth words of wisdom knowing what is acceptable, but the mouth of the froward brings forth that which is perverse and contrary to wisdom.

We live in the age of the unbridled mouth for it appears that whatever thought germinates in the mind, must be said.

What is thought must be expressed in some manner, verbally or electronically.

It is almost as if no thought can be wasted, for if I think it, it must be of such great value that I must absolutely communicate that thought to others.

But let me tell you what I think is the truth.

In reality if I know anything at all there are very few in this world, perhaps your mate or your family, that couldn’t care less about what you or I think.

It is a great arrogance to think that every thought you think must be expressed, but that seems to be the norm in our day.

But this norm is not the way of the Bible.

The just man has a governed tongue for it is a tongue that is well furnished with wisdom which flows from his mouth as naturally as a good tree brings forth fruit.

But unlike a tree that bears fruit but once a year the mouth of the just bears fruit every day.

The just man is a man with a bridled mouth which is the only way a mouth can go where it should go.

An unbridled horse goes where it chooses and in like manner an unbridled mouth goes in all directions at the same time and does not accomplish anything of value.

One of the marks of a just man is the testimony of his mouth for only a small portion of what he thinks is allowed to travel to his mouth.

He has a Bible filter that is programmed to keep that which is not acceptable from coming out of his mouth.

He asks the Lord to set a watch before his mouth, a doorman who knows when to open the door of his lips or to keep it closed.

Another thing that seems to be rare among us is discernment in speech.

Knowing how, what, when, to whom, to speak or not to speak.

A word of wisdom is not always called for in every situation and to every person.

Words of wisdom are not one size fits all.

Timing is very important.

How the word is given, the place that it is given, the time that it is given, to whom it is given takes thought, contemplation and prayer.

Proverbs 15:23 talks about a word spoken in due season.

It is not just a word spoken, but it is a word spoken at the right time, in due season.

Proverbs 25:11 talks about a word fitly spoken.

This is a word that is formed to fit the occasion, a word that meets the need of the occasion.

It is word that is formed to bring reproof that works, to bring about change that will bear fruit.

Job remarked in Job 6:25,  How forcible are right words!

Right words are acceptable words.

Acceptable words are words that the speaker is pleased with.

They are not words which bring regret for having been spoken.

They are words which accomplish the need.

They are words which persuade, words spoken with compassion and sympathy, words spoken in meekness and humility.

The greatest example of right words is the scripture itself for all of God’s words are right words.

Study of God’s words will bring about the just man who bringeth forth wisdom that is suited to the need.

Study of God’s word will reveal to the just man the patterns of wisdom, the ways of wisdom, the discrimination of wisdom, the discernment of wisdom.

Studying the words of Christ and how and when and where he expressed himself will bring to the just man a conformance to wisdom personified in Christ Jesus.

For the words of wisdom are fundamentally connected to God’s word for they cannot be expressed apart from them.

But the words that are expressed apart from God’s word are froward words.

One of the great blessings that wisdom bestows to you and to your children is expressed in Proverbs 2:12-15.

For we learn in this passage that wisdom promises:

We and our children have a choice to have a mouth of the just, a mouth where wisdom is brought forth or the mouth of a mooncalf, a foolish person a mouth that is froward, a mouth with a tongue that shall be cut out.

We can choose to walk in God preserved paths of judgment.

And if we so choose to walk in those paths we will find them pleasant, not grievous.

And on those paths which are paths where the truth is loved we will have discernment to know the evil man from the good man.

In this world that man will be found tempting the man who walks in the paths of judgment, for that man has left the paths of uprightness.

The evil man's ways are crooked because he has left the straight path of uprightness, the path of judgment.

He has left the path of uprightness to walk in the ways of darkness because evil doers love darkness.

That man is froward and desires that others be froward.

He gains no conviction from the straight walk of the upright but desires to corrupt the upright so that he has partners to walk with him in the paths of darkness.

The froward man is hopeless from redemption for he is proud and the proud continue to be proud even in the face of imminent destruction.

For God has so ordained pride to be self destructive!

He not only is proud but he rejoices to do evil, and delights in the frowardness of the wicked.

Now froward means turned or looking from.

It means perverse, that is turning from, with aversion or reluctance, not willing to yield or comply with what is required; unyielding, ungovernable, disobedient peevish.

Think of to and fro. Looking to and looking from.

It indicates looking from a position of right to a position of wrong.

It means not willing to yield or to comply with what is required.

That means that a choice is made in favor of rebellion over obedience.

A froward person is a person who knows what is right and is turning away from what is right.

At the first it appears that the froward person is going in the right direction but it is soon revealed that it is just a front and the ultimate direction is away from right.

He is going backwards from truth while he appears to be going forward.

It is much like the moonwalk that dancers display; a walk that looks like it is going forward but in fact it is going backward.

The froward mouth is the same, it issues forth what appears to be truth but from a heart that is full of lies.

In other words frowardness is a turning from right to wrong with full knowledge.

Frowardness does not come from ignorance but on the contrary it comes from knowledge.

In Luke 9:62 Jesus describes the froward man who:

He knew that plowing required looking forward but he willingly, with full knowledge, turned from the right way to look the wrong way and thereby corrupted his plowing.

Why? What caused him to look the wrong way?

He did not look the wrong way to become froward.

He looked the wrong way because he was froward.

The froward in you will always be revealed.

It cannot be concealed. It will come out!

Do not be afraid of bringing out the frowardness of your children and dealing with it.

For frowardness begins in childhood.

But bring it to a head when it shows itself.

Do not cover it up and pretend it is not there.

Like a blemish on your face it needs to be popped!

This is the pattern of God that he has expressed in Hebrews. 4:13.

That is the way we are to be as parents.

All that our children do is to be naked and opened unto our eyes because God has given us to be the ones with whom they have to do.

You are to deal with the monster of frowardness or you will sacrifice your child to the monster and once lost to frowardness there is no hope.

God desires to equip his children to know what is forward and what is froward.

We are to know that frowardness is an abomination to our father and it ought to also be to us.

God desires that we be forward and not froward!