A Word in Season

Handle them carefully, for words have more power than atom bombs.

— Pearl Strachan

“[the servant of G-d says] The L-rd G-d has given me the tongue of a disciple and of one who is taught, that I should know how to speak a word in season to him who is weary. He wakens me morning by morning. He wakens my ear to hear as a disciple [as one who is taught].”

–Isaiah 50:4

“You can bless people with the words of your mouth. The power of life and death is in the tongue (see Proverbs 18:21), therefore you can speak life to others. Proverbs 15:23 says, “A man has joy in making an apt answer, and a word spoken at the right moment—how good it is!” When you edify or exhort, you are urging people forward in Christ. You can actually hold people back or encourage them forward just by your words. What a tremendous honor to be used by G-d to lift up another. Ask Him to teach you to give words in season that will heal and encourage, bless and edify.” –Joyce Meyer, Ending Your Day Right

Words are a very powerful thing. They cause action. The world was created by G-d’s words. People are healed and demons are vanquished by one word—the name of Jesus. Good days have happened for me through words of encouragement and my heart has been completely torn to shreds by words. We need to realize how powerful our words are. The L-rd could really bless someone and you is you choose to step outside of yourself and encourage someone around you. We are sent out to be Christ’s fragrance so we need to be showing the loves that has been lavished upon us in our words. If you ask for the L-rd to place someone in your path, you may be surprised yourself how the Spirit fills in the words for us. Just be obedient and love on people with your words.

By the name of Jesus,

Mere

a little faith goes a long way…

a little faith goes a long way…

Even after walking with Christ for fourteen years, I still find myself struggling with feelings of inadequacy. For the past year, I have felt this strong need to know why I believe the things that I do so that I could be reassured and so that I would be able to give an answer for the hope that I have. Although, seeking to know G-d better is a good thing, we have to also realize that will not be a point, at least till Christ returns that we will know G-d fully. I kept feeling like I would get to a place where I felt secure and confident about my faith so that I can share it with others. The revelation that has come to me is: Yes, keep on seeking and hungering after more of G-d, but in the meantime, step out in faith. As Psalms 55:22 says, “Cast your cares on the LORD and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous fall.” Would it really be faith if we knew exactly what to say and felt entirely informed about G-d? Wouldn’t that reduce G-d to something much smaller than He is?

Throughout the Bible, faith is directly connected to all sorts of miraculous movements. (salvation, miracles, healing, walking on water, etc.) I’m not sure what stepping out in faith will look like for me or for you, but I know that whenever I feel the L-rd’s impulse, I’m praying that I will be more than compelled to listen.

Reading through John 1 gives plenty of examples of faith. John the Baptist stepped out in faith. He was essentially the neon arrow pointing at Jesus saying this is G-d’s lamb, even though he didn’t even know exactly what that was going to mean: “Look! G-d’s lamb! The one who is taking away the sin of the world! This is the man I was talking of when I said, ‘After men is coming someone who has come to rank above me, because he existed before me.’ I myself did not know who he was, but the reason I came immersing with water was so that he might be made know to Israel” (John 1:29-31). John was not sure of who Jesus was or his personality, but he knew that he was supposed to baptize and declare him. If John had waited around till he fully understood Jesus and felt confident about his opinions and views, he probably wouldn’t have fulfilled prophesy and become “the voice of someone crying out: ‘In the desert make the way of ADONAI straight” (Isaiah 40:3).

Another example of tremendous faith is one of the more obscure disciples, Nathaniel. When Philip brought Nathaniel to meet Jesus, Jesus said that he was a true son of Israel and there was nothing false in him. Nathaniel questioned Jesus, wondering how he knew him. Jesus said that he had seen him under the fig tree before Philip called him. Nathaniel replied with: “Rabbi, you are the Son of G-d! You are the King of Israel!” (John 1:49). I love how Jesus can know everything, yet be overwhelmed by someone’s faith. He is such an amazing mystery. Jesus was so refreshed and said, “You believe all of this because I told you I saw you under a fig tree? You will see greater things than that! Yes indeed! I tell you that you will see heaven opened and the angels of G-d going up and coming down on the Son of Man!” (John 1:50-51). If we will have faith in who Jesus is and acknowledge Him, He will blow us away. We need to go back to this sort of simple, more child-like faith where we are ready to leap with Him and trust that He will fill in the blanks.

By faith,

Mere 🙂