Life Words vs Poison words

Proverbs 18:21 (NKJV) Death and life are in the power of the tongue, And those who love it will eat its fruit.

If you’re like me you’ve come across this scripture many times. You’ve come across it in articles, you’ve read it in your bible and heard it in teachings. I know I’ve certainly quoted it many times while praying warfare prayers and reminding the enemy of my authority in Christ as I tear down and curse his works. But recently I took the time to really ponder and meditate on it and in doing this I searched all the different bible translations for this little but so powerful verse and of all the translations I looked up, the Message translation of this scripture was definitely my favourite. 

It’s straight to the point, clear and simple. Words kill, words give life; they’re either poison or fruit-you choose. I mean how simple is that? This means we can build or tear down with what we say. We can bless and we can curse with our tongues. I was reminded by Holy spirit ( I say reminded because I knew this already but somehow forgot along the way)  that the ‘killing’ words not only kill the bad stuff  but also have the same power to kill the good stuff too or prevent life from penetrating a situation.

Let me explain, bad things happen, we get upset, angry and frustrated and then we speak negative things about the situation, those words have power, so what have we done? We’ve spoken killing words to the situation, so the situation now has more of a chance of getting worse than getting better. However if you’d spoken life words into the situation life has a good chance of sprouting up and changing that situation.

I wonder if sometimes we feel that the death or poison part is only activated when we are in warfare prayer and are cursing the work of the enemy in our lives, in a loved one’s life or  in a situation. Or that the life part is only activated when we are releasing the blessings of God or confessing the promises of God over ourselves.  But this scripture is alive and active in our everyday conversations. It is activated every time we open our mouths to speak. That power is engaged when we speak and not just in our prayer closets.

As I mentioned earlier, I have used this scripture when in warfare prayer to tear down and curse the work of the enemy but then what happens when I am not in warfare? When I am engaging in normal conversation with people, does that mean the power in my tongue is deactivated? No it doesn’t. The  power is activated every time I open my mouth to speak. If it weren’t so the scripture would have been specific to clarify this.

God has given us this power in our tongue, we can choose how we use it. To bless and encourage or to tear down and curse, know the consequences! Remember every negative thing we say  whether intentional or not can have a very negative impact on a person or situation. Did you know that we can also use this power against ourselves? Words like ‘ I’m such a clutz!’, ‘I never get things right’, ‘I’m always broke’ etc are not life-giving words and there is power in them to establish and reinforce what they are saying!

A quick word to Parents, when speaking to, or correcting your children, no matter how upset you are at them, be careful what you say to them and how you talk to them. Don’t label your children by the naughty things they do or the bad habits they have. Words like ‘You are a liar’, ‘you make me angry’, ‘you never listen’ etc only sow poison into them. Those words reinforce the negative behaviour you’re trying to correct or wish to see your child free from. By speaking those words you are stifling out any room for life or positive change in them and also those words wound the soul.  The bible says Rash language cuts and maims, but there is healing in the words of the wise.(Proverbs 12:18) The same power spoken of in Proverbs 18:21 is active in this scripture. I personally believe these two scriptures go hand in hand, I really do believe they complement each other. Today I encourage you to be mindful of what you say, how you say what you say and which words you use in your conversations.

Would you pray with me

Father I thank you for your loving kindness, your thoughts and words towards me are always good. Forgive me for the times I have spoken negative words when I should have spoken life-giving words, forgive me for the times when I have spoken harshly and caused wounds in others and even in myself. Lord help me to be wise and may my words always bring healing and blessing. Thank you Lord. Amen!

Just a Touch part 1

                                                                                     

That morning as Eliana got dressed she wondered what the physician would tell her this time. She had lost count over the last twelve years. So much money and so much time had passed but no change. ‘How could this be Lord?’ She sighed. She glanced at all the bottles of elixirs and remedies on the small bench by her sleeping mat, none of them worked. So much money wasted, physicians were not cheap.

The pain was increasing every day, her condition was worsening. She could no longer earn to keep up with the cost of remedies that did nothing! All her money had gone on physicians and their useless herbs and mixtures.‘This is it!’ she said with determination to her pale and drawn reflection in the mirror. ‘No More physicians after this!’

She had been prodded and poked and questioned over the years, been subjected to various examinations. Some of them had been kind, they genuinely wanted to cure her, or at least thought they could. While others were less compassionate. There was one who made her feel like she was part of a circus. ‘Come in! Come in!!’ He had said proudly to his apprentices. ‘Come right in and tell me your thoughts, this poor woman has been bleeding non-stop for twelve years!! I do not lie to you!’

She had closed her eyes in utter shame as she fought the urge to run a thousand miles far from there, anywhere other than that small dark examination room. She had been young then, with so much hope; hope that maybe the next physician or healer would be different. The thought of it now began to twist her stomach. She thought of cancelling this meeting. ‘What is the use? He will not find a cure anyway’. She murmured to herself. She could even hear the words ‘sorry miss, I cannot cure you, the Lord God has chosen you to carry this burden and it is one you must bear for as long as he sees fit’.

Others told her it was a curse upon her due to a grave sin her mother and her mother before her had committed- a generational curse they had said with much certainty. The Rabbis did not help either, how could they? It was taboo to be even near a woman during her monthly flow, hers was constant. She was constantly unclean; the rejection that came with this tore at her heart daily. No one could help…..