Sardis Methodist Church -- where I went to church as a little girl and sang in the children's choir |
The
words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life. John 6:63
One of the benefits of my
Southern Protestant heritage is that I know all the words of all the songs in
the hymnal by heart. I’ve sung them
hundreds of times—heard them pounded out loud on the piano every line and
verse. I remember walking down a dirt road as a child singing
hymns at the top of my lungs without a care in the world.
Sing them over again to me,
Wonderful words of Life;
Let me more of their beauty see,
Wonderful words of Life. ~Philip P. Bliss
We learned the absolute life-giving value of the Word of God incorporated into the songs we sung and found
in the Holy Bible (also learned verses by heart, weekly, from colored index cards).
Heaven
and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away. Matthew 24:35
There’s much recorded in the
Scripture about words—not only God’s Word, but the words we speak and the power of the tongue.
Think about it for a second and
you will remember kind words spoken to you that ministered peace as sweet as a sip of iced tea.
Likewise, you will remember harsh words spoken that struck your heart
like fiery darts. You might even recall
hurtful things you've said to others.
Death
and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the
fruit thereof. Proverbs 18:21
We’ve all experienced the
consequences of idle chatter—backbiting,
gossip—our own as well as that of others. It’s
hurtful. It tears a person down.
Jesus condemned it.
But I
say to you that for every idle word men may speak they will give account of it
in the Day of Judgment. Matthew 12:36
I tried to speak some
life-giving words this week to someone who was crying because of careless words that
had been spoken to her—words that had hurt her heart, making her feel good-for-nothing and unloved.
I took my time before I spoke, carefully
choosing the few words that I thought might offer her hope, build her up, and
minister God’s grace like a healing balm to her open wound.
I know I must resolve to always be so careful
with my words. They are powerful.
Do not
let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for
building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who
listen. Ephesians 4:29
Please consider leaving a comment on today's blog. I love to hear from you.
Please consider leaving a comment on today's blog. I love to hear from you.
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Now to announce the winner of Alice Wisler's devotional Getting Out of Bed in the Morning: Reflections of Comfort in Heartache. Congratulations to Kathleen Belongia who is our winner. Thanks to all of you who participated. Alice and I both were thrilled to read all your kind and encouraging comments. May God's grace be with you all.