Proverbs 26:20 “Where no wood is, there the fire goeth out: so where there is no talebearer, the strife ceaseth.”
It is absolutely amazing that some folks seem to thrive on spreading bad news, the more confusing the better. I even had a preacher one time ask me if I liked to gossip. I quickly responded, no sir I don’t. Well, it didn’t slow him down, he immediately began to put more “wood” on the “fire”, passing on some juicy tale that he had heard; consequently, I had an overwhelming urge to escape to the restroom. Whether the fires of confusion and trouble are burning in Churches, in popular issues, or in politics; the quickest way to cool the heat of trouble is to quit putting “wood” on the “fire”; that is, “where there is no talebearer, the strife ceaseth”! So, what do we talk about? The Psalmist declared: “my tongue shall speak of” the Lord’s “righteousness and of” His “praise all the day long” (Psalms 35:28), “My tongue shall speak of” the Lord’s “word: for all” His “commandments are righteousness” (Psalms 119:172), and “I will speak of the glorious honour of” the Lord’s “majesty, and of” His “wondrous works” (Psalms 145:5). On the other hand, there was a good “fire” burning over in Thessalonica, and they were piling the “wood” high, and the “fire” was burning hot. They were sounding “out the word of the Lord not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place”. This good “fire” was burning so hot that “in every place” their “faith to God-ward” was “spread abroad; so that” the Apostles “need not to speak any thing” (I Thessalonians 1:8)! Let us follow their good example and go about telling “how great things the Lord hath done for” us, “and hath had compassion on” us (Mark 5:19)! If we do, the Lord will be honored, and life will be a lot more pleasant!