I would like to speak about the incredible power of our words. Maybe you find yourself in such a state today. Disappointed inwardly, due to things languishing off into the horizon that have not yet materialized. Perhaps, you have found yourself complaining, speaking against God, saying bad things about the Church, Leadership and about this person or that person. Friend, when we do that the hedge of protection lifts and in come the serpents.
Numbers 21:6
"And the Lord sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and much people of Israel died."
In the Bible, who is typed as a serpent? That's right, the devil. The scriptures say, "That old serpent, the devil." With some people, the serpent has gotten in and sunk his fangs into your marriage or into your children and he has pumped them full of rebellion.
Numbers 21:7
"Therefore the people came to Moses, and said, We have sinned, for we have spoken against the Lord, and against thee; pray unto the Lord, that he take away the serpents from us. And Moses prayed for the people."
If you have spoken against people and sowed seeds of discord, then you need to repent, confess it and get it under the blood of Christ.
Numbers 21:8-9
"And the Lord said unto Moses, make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole: and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live. And Moses made a serpent of brass, and put it upon a pole, and it came to pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent of brass, he lived."
A perverse tongue breaks the spirit. Proverbs Chapter 15, verse 4 says it like this:
"A wholesome tongue is a tree of life: but perverseness therein is a breach in the spirit."
(Wholesome/Healthy; Breach/Disturbance)
The amplified version says: "A gentle tongue with its healing power is a tree of life, but willful contrariness in it breaks down the spirits."
Proverbs 15:1-2
"A soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger. The tongue of the wise useth knowledge aright: but the mouth of fools poureth out foolishness."
There are a couple of things here. First, it talks about harsh words stirring up Anger. Harsh, Bitter, Cutting, Damaging words, when they are spoken as a habit of life, it can effect both the speaker and the hearer in a negative way! Now all of us, err in our speech at times.
I'm not just talking about something that just happens in a momentary bit of frustration or anger but words that are spoken as a habit of life. I'm speaking about the husband or wife who hurl bitter cutting words at one another or a parent who is always berating a child and saying things like: "You Stupid!" "What's wrong with you!" "You'll never amount to anything!" "You Idiot!" Now they never praise the child, but they are always tearing the child down and pointing out faults. Those kind of harsh, biting words can break the spirit of both the speaker and the hearer.
Proverbs 18:21
"Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof."
You cannot get any more serious than death and life. Our words produce something. Words are containers, and they can produce death or life.
Let me tell you something, Every one of these careless words is going to come back to haunt you. There will be a time of Reckoning. Words are powerful; take them seriously. Words can be your salvation. Words can also be your damnation.
Matthew 12:36-37
"But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned."
I think you would agree these are pretty strong verses. Jesus warns us that words are powerful. We need to take them seriously, because they truly matter. King David said these words in Psalm 141, verse 3: "Set a watch, O LORD, before my mouth; keep the door of my lips." It was a good prayer for David, and it’s a good prayer for you and I because your heart and your lips are connected. Your true self is expressed through your words.
Yes, Jesus even talks about giving account of our idle, empty, nonproductive words in the day of judgment! That may seem like an odd connection with the power of your words, but it really is the most important part.
Now, I want to talk about worship as you and I need to fill our words with thanksgiving, with worship, with faith. Words are containers. They can contain hate and bitterness and unbelief, or they can contain faith, love, and hope. You see, when we worship God, at least three things take place. We honor Him and give Him credit for the things He does.
Psalm 66:2
“Sing forth the honor of his name: make his praise glorious."
It demonstrates and releases faith. Philippians 4:6 tells us, "Be careful for nothing; but every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God." As you thank and worship God, you release faith. It silences the devil.
The book of James likens the tongue to a fire. It says, "The tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity; so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell." (James 3:6)
In Ephesians it says that the devil is shooting flaming, fiery darts and missiles at us! "What is his Target ultimately?" Our tongue! The tongue is set on fire by hell, and the way he does it is to shoot a thought at your mind. if the devil can get you to embrace that thought, to accept it and begin to speak it, he doesn't have to do anything else. You will destroy your own life with words you speak because there is Power in the Words we Speak.
"You see, God wants to inspire your tongue.
And the devil wants to inspire your tongue as well."
(There is power released in our words)
The book of James also likens our tongue to the rudder on a ship. It says, "Though, the ship is great, and it is tossed by fierce winds, it is steered by a pilot which every way he makes that rudder go." If you do not like the way your life is headed, set the rudder in a different direction.
King David said, "I poured out my complaint before God." If you are angry at God, you may as well tell him. He knows it anyway! If you feel like he has failed, you may as well tell him. When you pour out your complaint before God, you are looking for answers. You need to stay in God's presence until you get an answer, and then put that answer in your mouth. It talks about the fruit of a person's mouth and the produce of his lips and death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who indulge in it will eat its fruit. Well, fruit comes from a seed that is planted. Literally, our words are like seeds that we sow. They are containers. Even the Bible the Word of God is called the incorruptible seed of the Word. When God's word comes, it comes in seed form. Jesus said, "The sower sows the word." He likened preaching, sharing the gospel, to a sower sowing seeds, and it falls on the soil of a human heart. Think about the seeds you have been sowing, maybe in the life of your children. Perhaps. even in your own life.
I like to say, a collective prayer over us:
"Father, I pray strength from the Holy Spirit would flow into the inner being of every person reading this right now. God, for that one who has been bowed, weighed and broken down on the inside. Jesus, I thank you for the anointing that heals the broken hearted, flowing to them by the power of your Spirit, lifting people up in their hearts and giving them a fresh hope and a new determination. In the mighty name of Jesus, Lord we receive strength from your Spirit today. Amen."
In His Grip,
Pastor Wendy Schenkel
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