With your words you can make a person mad, sad, or glad. Intelligent conversation is a careful choice of words to accomplish a desired end. We are not a stranger to the power of words. We use them every day to obtain what we want to know and they are steps in the accomplishment of that desired end. Sales people use words to distribute merchandise and services. Religion, politics, education, business – on we could go and relate how in every realm of life we use words to bring about change. With this in mind, we should not think it strange that Jesus gave example and teaching on how we can use words to effect change in our lives and in others lives. First we need to consider that God spoke and the stages of creation were manifested (Genesis 1). The people of the earth were of one language and speech and became corrupt. God knew that because they were of one language “nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do” (Genesis 11). He confounded their language and scattered them to slow their evil accomplishment. David affirmed his trust in God to keep him from deadly disease and destruction –-“I will say of the Lord…surely he shall deliver…from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence” (Psalms 91:1-3). Wise Solomon stated the power of life and death is in the power of the tongue (Proverbs 18:21). Jesus comes along and sees a woman bowed together with a spirit of infirmity 18 years, and she could not straighten up. When he saw her he called her over to himself and spoke to her saying to her that she was loosed from her infirmity. He laid his hands on her and immediately she was made straight and glorified God (Luke 13:11). Jesus taught that if we will have faith in God, doubting not, and speak to the mountain of adversity and impossibility that looms before us, and believe that when we pray we receive our request, then we shall have what we request. For this, he said to make sure we have no unforgiveness in our heart (Mark 11:22-26). The Word of the gospel can be spoken and heard and lives be eternally changed for the good.
Knowing the power of words, and seeing how we use them every day, it is good news to know that we can line our words up to the Word of God, and speak to our minds, our bodies, and our situations and circumstances and bring about change. There is nothing to lose and everything to gain. Follow the precedent set forth in God’s Word, If you are sick, speak God’s word of healing to your body. Jesus spoke to a fruitless fig tree and it dried up at the roots (Matthew 21:19). With thanksgiving, speak to your body, to that disease, to that situation, the abundant life that Jesus came to give, and live (John 10:10). That is God’s way!
