SPOKEN WORD POWER
James 1:12-26
James 1:26: “If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep a tight rein on his tongue, he deceives himself and his religion is worthless.’”
Spoken words are powerful. Do you remember in whose image you are created? Genesis 1:26 says, “Then God said, ‘Let us make men in our image, in our likeness, and let him rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.’” (Emphasis mine).
God said this after He spoke all things into being: light, darkness, earth, moon and sun…land and ocean, creatures and plants. Why don’t people recognize the power in our own spoken word? Loose tongues have the power to build up to life or tear down to destruction. Quick and angry speech plunge us headlong into sin!
Sanctification [sank-tif-i-KA-shon] comes after salvation. People hear God’s spoken Word and believe in Jesus. God’s Spirit transforms us anew into Christ-likeness. Accepting Jesus’ offer of forgiveness of sins and eternal life reveals that God’s Word is living and active!
A story in the Bible shows the prophet Elisha healed a man from leprosy. (See the previous devotion Sticks & Stones, Feathers, and Leprosy). Hearing Elisha decline payment for that miracle, his servant caught up with the healed man. Lying that Elisha reconsidered and did want a reward, the servant received clothes and some silver.
Elisha discovered what his servant did and cursed him aloud. Immediately, the servant and his sons were covered in sores from leprosy. They were sent away to live in total isolation from people, as the law dictated.
This was when the Arameans surrounded and took control over the Israelites, who were starving. Elisha prophesied to the Aramean king that God would bring abundance after the famine, but the king didn’t believe him.
At the same time, the diseased men were also starving. In desperation, they decided to surrender to the Arameans. God caused the Arameans to hear loud noises which they presumed were an invading army, and they fled in terror. The diseased men arrived at the Aramean camp to find it deserted. Then they discovered lots of food and other treasures.
The starving men filled their bellies. Then they decided this wasn’t right and shared with their brethren. All the Israelites benefited from the Aramean bounty with God’s provision of abundance! (See 2 Kings 7:3-20 and the lesson below).
Take Home Nugget
The diseased men represent those who lie and hate. Everything they say is self-serving at others’ expense. Elisha teaches proper speech that encourages and blesses others.
Empower me to use the power of my spoken words to bring life, Lord, in Jesus’ Name. Amen.
Adapted from “The Power of Speech” from Holy Land Moments.com. Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein. April 28, 2017.
And “Quick to Hear, Slow to Speak” from Portals of Prayer Devotional. Missouri. Dcs. Rachel D. Thompson. May 19, 2017.
J.D. Griffith
Click here for Interactive-Online-Lesson for Spoken Word Power
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