Dear Readers, I have had requests to share this column again, and I know from experience that these truths have the power to change lives, if we believe, receive and act on it …
Many years ago I was helping a friend move into her new downstairs apartment. The property was located near a canal with beautiful Cyprus trees lining the banks, and her place was directly adjacent to the water.
We kept the front door open as we were making numerous trips unloading our cars. Her mother was helping us, and while sorting out some clothes in the bedroom she had noticed a belt coiled up in the corner of the room. She didn’t pay much attention to it until she was ready to put it away.
As you have probably guessed, upon closer inspection it was not a belt, rather a snake, and a Water Moccasin at that, had taken liberty to move in as well.
Needless to say, this caused no small stir as the unwelcome house guest was escorted out the door. (Sorry, we didn’t relocate it, we killed it. Although, I was taught not to kill harmless snakes.)
Not too long ago, I was asked to help with a sign up list for an upcoming Ladies Event. One morning a person at our Church approached me about putting her name on list, but it was discovered that she had already signed up on a previous page. She laughed, and made this statement, “I’d sign my life away if I wasn’t careful.”
Right then the Holy Spirit brought this verse back to my remembrance, “My tongue is the pen of a ready writer.” Psalm 45:1
He also reminded me that our life is going in the general direction of our thoughts, and subsequently, our words. “For out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks.” Luke 6:45
Words can open the door to evil, sickness, poverty, lack, depression, and death in many forms. Or, our words can release God’s provision, protection, wisdom, comfort, healing, rescue, deliverance from trouble, etc.
“Death and life are in the power of the tongue, those who love it will eat the fruit thereof.” Proverbs 18:21
Of course we don’t want bad things to happen to us, or our loved ones, just like we did not intend for a poisonous snake to enter my friends apartment through that open door. And not every bad things that happens is a direct result of our words, but many times if we examine our thought life, and speech thereof, we can see where we are giving the devil permission to steal, kill and bring destruction into our lives. We wonder why these things keep happening to us, when much of the time we are giving our consent by our own admission.
I never want to give Satan too much credit for anything, but he has been deceiving mankind for thousands of years, so he has had a lot of practice, and his concentration is in the area of our thought life, and our words. If he can get us trained with negative attitudes/words we speak, well, the devil can just go on vacation as we hand them down from generation to generation.
Such as, “we have always lived paycheck to paycheck,” “I never win,” “I always get sick on Holidays,” “if a child get’s hurt, it will be mine,” “my car is a magnet for accidents,” “my car always breaks down.”
What we say to (and about) others, especially our children, can affect them emotionally, but it can also release demonic forces in their lives. The Bible tells us that “faith comes by hearing,” this can result in good or bad.
Have you ever told your child, “If you keep doing that you ARE going to get hurt.” And they did.
Or, “____ is so clumsy, they are ALWAYS falling down.”
I could go on and on, and without knowing it I have spoken death in many forms over myself and family for years.
You know, we all walked by that snake in my friends apartment numerous times before we recognized it was a deadly foe. Likewise, maybe it’s news to you that the words you have been speaking are coming back to bite you.
But you/we can change what we say about people, ourselves and situations to experience different results. God’s best for our lives. Yet, it may seem like we are being a hypocrite, or even lying, to speak contrary to what we are seeing and experiencing, when actually the opposite is true.
“Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things unseen.” God spoke light into complete darkness and He has given us the ability to do the same in dark areas of our life. We have free will to choose life and death, blessing and cursing, by coming into agreement with what He says about us, our families, jobs, health, and every area of our life.
Now, sometimes it takes more than words to see change in our lives. We have to step out by faith to see God’s best come to pass. If you are praying for a job, but you are not actively looking for one, then a job is not likely to land on your doorstep. Or if a person is overweight, and are professing that they lose that extra weight, they would need to act on that profession by faith. Decrease the amount of food you eat and start exercising, along with your confession. (I have a testimony to share about that in another column.)
I am not stupid, but I was ignorant of how much power the Lord has given us through the spoken word, when mixed with faith. If you do a study you will find the Bible is filled with scriptures regarding spoken words, and instruction what should, and should not come out of our mouths.
Here are some examples …
“A man’s stomach shall be satisfied from the fruit of his mouth, from the produce of his lips he shall be filled.” Proverbs 18:20
“Then keep your tongue from speaking evil and your lips from deceit.” Psalm 34:13
“Set a guard over my mouth, Lord; keep watch over the door of my lips.” Psalm 141:3
“Too much talk leads to sin. Be sensible and keep your mouth shut.” Proverbs 10:19
“Wise words bring many benefits.” Proverbs 12:14
“The one who guards his mouth preserves his life; the one who opens wide his lips comes to ruin.” Proverbs 13:3
“A gentle answer turns away wrath; but a harsh word stirs up anger.” Proverbs 15:1
“The heart of the godly thinks carefully before speaking.” Proverbs 15:28
“But the things that proceed out of the mouth comes from the heart, and those defile the man.” Matt; 15:18
“If you want to enjoy life and see many happy days keep your tongue from speaking evil and your lips from telling lies.” 1 Peter 3:10
“Indeed, we put bits in horses’ mouths that they may obey us, and we turn their whole body. Look also at ships: although they are so large and are driven by fierce winds, they are turned by a very small rudder wherever the pilot desires. Even so the tongue is a little member and boasts great things.
See how great a forest a little fire kindles! And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity. The tongue is so set among our members that it defiles the whole body, and sets on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire by hell.” James 3:3-6
“Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing …” James 3:10
“For assuredly, I SAY to you, whoever SAYS to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he SAYS will be done, he will have whatever he SAYS.” Mark 11:23 (Bold text mine.)
All scripture taken from NKJV.
Contact Brenda Groves at: bkgroves1996@yahoo.com
