“She said ‘yes’!” “We are terminating your position.” “It’s a boy!” “The test says its cancer.” Words have great power. They can bring tremendous joy or unbearable pain. We can lift others up or tear them down. Yes, words have great power.
Just going to India is no big deal. Thousands of people do it daily. They have a relaxing, enjoyable visit to an interesting, exotic country full of many new sights and tastes. That could be true of our visit here as well. The problem is that we open our mouth and out come words – not just any words but words which challenge and have the power to defeat the darkness and evil that have dominated India for centuries. It is because of the words we speak that we are oppressed and opposed. It’s not because we visit the country, eat its food, travel its roads and admire its sights. What makes us different is the words that come out of our mouths for they are about Jesus and His power to change lives and free from Satan’s power. Words have great power.
The words we speak are not our own. They are Jesus’ words passed on by us. His words are the ones that bring light and life. He Himself brings light and life. He is called the Word. When we speak His words we are sharing Him with others. Words reveal, and our words reveal Him just as He reveals God Himself. The first name/description of Jesus in the gospel of John is as the “Word of God” (John 1:1-14). Words communicate, and Jesus communicates God’s truth to us. It is our privilege and responsibility to pass it on to others.
What awesome words He allows us speak in His behalf – words of hope and peace, joy and blessing, truth and assurance, encouragement and love. Never underestimate the power of the words you can speak in His name to change lives. You heard and believed those words and look at the change it has make in your life. Pray the words we speak in India will be used to change loves for God’s glory now and long after we leave. (January 18, 2016 Hyderabad, India)
John 1:1, 14 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. … The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
Ask God to give you an opportunity to share words about Him or His truth with someone in need today. Pray for alertness to notice your opportunity, wisdom to know just what to say and courage to actually say it!
(A future blog will tell about the content of those words, the greatest story ever told.)