Bring Your Words

There is something extremely powerful in the words that audibly come out of our mouths.

First, and possibly most importantly, because our words are a testament to what is already in our hearts (Luke 6:45).

But, secondly, and actually the focus of this blog, is that the words we speak also have the power to shape our hearts and the lives of others around us.

I remember the great YWAM teacher, Dean Sherman, preaching at Westgate once about the lengths God went to to prevent the false prophet, Balaam, from speaking a curse over the encampment of Israel from the mountain range east of the Jordan River.

Dean’s point was that if our words didn’t matter, why wouldn’t God just allow Balaam to speak anything he wanted over Israel… and then just use His power to reverse the curse. Instead, God prevented Balaam at every turn from cursing Israel, even to the point of warning him through the voice of the donkey he was riding to his assignment.

Words have unbelievable power.

Jesus’ half-brother, James, challenges us that “if we control our tongues, we would be perfect and could control ourselves in every other way” (James 3:2).

Don’t worry or send me emails, this is not a prosperity gospel blog… although it is a reminder to us that our overreaction to any heresy can easily end up becoming a heresy in itself, where we would believe that what we say makes no difference at all.

Here is what started my thinking on the subject. I was recently doing my morning devotions and in Deuteronomy 26. It is a chapter instructing Israel to bring the tithe of their crops and livestock to the Lord at the place He would designate in the Promised Land for His name to dwell (Shiloh).

And when they arrived at Shiloh they were to “Go to the priest and say to him, ‘With this gift I acknowledge to the Lord your God that I have entered the land He swore to our ancestors He would give us” (Deuteronomy 26:3).

A clear instruction from God that their offering was to be accompanied by their words… specific words reciting God’s faithfulness to them, even though it happened generations back in their history.

Their words were designed to keep the story alive in their generation.

Then, look at verse 5, “You must then say in the presence of the Lord your God, ‘My ancestor was a wandering Aramean who went to live in Egypt…’” And the words that followed recited God’s faithfulness to bring Israel through slavery and into the Promised Land.

Would you look at the key verb, to say or declare, in verses 3, 5, 13, and 17 of that chapter and the close connection between those declarations and Israel’s obedience to the covenant and to God’s continued blessings on them now in the Promised Land.

In a slightly different context, God calls Israel to return to Him in repentance for their sins, and through the prophet, Hosea, tells them to “bring their words” of confession with them when they come back to Him (Hosea 14:2).

God knows what is in our hearts but wants us to hear ourselves say so.

The writer of Hebrews tells us to bring to the Lord the sacrifice of praise, which is the “fruit of our lips” (Hebrews 13:15).

Here is why this principle is so important for your life and mine: our actions (godly or ungodly) flow out of our hearts, but, most importantly, our hearts are shaped by our daily practices… and God seems to go to great lengths, Old and New Testaments, to call for out loud words from us that…

• Rehearse the love of God that brought us out of slavery to sin and into His eternal kingdom as sons and daughters.
• Express our gratitude for all His goodness and provision as we present our tithe to Him.
• Confess our sin and accept His forgiveness and cleansing with gratitude.

Speak of His greatness and majestic power as Lord over all creation.

Words!

Your words!

Spoken regularly in the presence of the Lord, and frequently in the company of other believers, whose faith will be built up by what you say as will yours.

Words that change everything… beginning with you!