“Let no one despise your youth,
but be an example to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity.”
Proverbs 18:4, 6-8, 20-21
“The words of a man’s mouth are deep waters;
The wellspring of wisdom is a flowing brook.
A fool’s lips enter into contention, and his mouth calls for blows.
A fool’s mouth is his destruction, and his lips are the snare of his soul.
The words of a talebearer are like tasty trifles, and they go down into the inmost body.
A man’s stomach shall be satisfied from the fruit of his mouth;
From the produce of his lips he shall be filled.
DEATH and LIFE are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit.”
We have the power to speak life and death in our lives. We used to say “as good as your word”. Being a person of our word, means something. It matters what we say in business, in our marriage vows, in court, etc.
Why doesn’t it matter what we say as Christians? Words matter every where, especially in our Christian life.
Romans 10:8-9
“But what does it say?
‘The word is near you, in your MOUTH and in your heart’ (that is, the word of faith which we preach):
that if you CONFESS with your mouth the Lord Jesus
and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.”
The Bigger Question – Does It Matter What GOD Says?
Genesis 1:3, 9, 14, 20, 24, 26, 31
“Then God SAID, ‘Let there be light’; and there was light.
Then God SAID, ‘Let the waters under the heavens be gathered together into one place,
and let the dry land appear’; and it was so.
Then God SAID, ‘Let there be lights in the firmament of the heavens to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs and seasons, and for days and years;’
Then God SAID, ‘Let the waters abound with an abundance of living creatures,
and let birds fly above the earth across the face of the firmament of the heavens.’
Then God SAID, ‘Let the earth bring forth the living creature according to its kind: cattle and creeping thing and beast of the earth, each according to its kind”; and it was so.’
Then God SAID, ‘Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.’
Then God saw everything that He had made, and indeed it was very good.
So the evening and the morning were the sixth day.”
John 1:1
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
Hebrews 1:3
“upholding all things by the word of His power”
Hebrews 11:1
“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”
The words that we speak to ourselves and to others, are life and death.
Proverbs 18:21
“Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit.”
John 6:60, 63
“Therefore many of His disciples, when they heard this, said,
‘This is a hard saying; who can understand it?’
It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing.
The WORDS that I speak to you are spirit, and they are LIFE.”
The Words that you speak, can be a physical entrance (Spirit). Words can be the difference between life and death.
John 6:68
“But Simon Peter answered Him, “Lord, to whom shall we go?
You have the WORDS of eternal LIFE.”
You learn the most from people when you LISTEN to them. And the more you study the Word, the more you will learn HIS Words.
Psalm 31:19, 24; Psalm 32:8
“Oh, how great is Your goodness,
Which You have laid up for those who fear You,
Which You have prepared for those who trust in You
In the presence of the sons of men!
Be of good courage,
And He shall strengthen your heart,
All you who hope in the LORD.
I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;
I will guide you with My eye.”
Trust, courage, instruct and teach you in the way you should go. Confidence comes from believing what the Word says. You may have some fear, and when you do, go back to the Bible and see what the Word says.
You need to EXPECT God to answer your prayer. The more you know God’s Word, the more you know WHAT is true. You have to have an infilling on the knowledge and see what It says.
John 15:7
“If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you,
you will ASK what you desire, and it SHALL be done for you.”
You can ask anything of God, that is in His Word, and we CAN have it. If God has promised it to us in the Word, then we can have it.
1 John 5:14-15
”Now this is the confidence that we have in Him,
that if we ASK anything according to His will, He HEARS us.
And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ASK,
we KNOW that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.”
The Bible is the WILL of God. God’s Word is His Will.
“Confidence” --> some think of this as arrogance, but rather, it is KNOWING what His Will is. It is imperative that we dig into His Word. One good way is to start with Proverbs and read one chapter a day. We need to become expecting what God’s Word says.
Don’t worry about others. Figure it out for YOU.
Hebrews 13:5-6
“Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have.
For HE Himself has SAID, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you.’
So WE may BOLDLY SAY:
‘The LORD is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?’”
“He SAID…so WE may SAY”. Do not fear what man may say or do against you. Only believe what the Word SAYS in the Bible.
What we may ask, may not happen immediately. It takes FAITH to believe, and it takes patience and peace, knowing it will come to manifestation. What WE SAY is very important.
Ephesians 6:10-20
“Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.
Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one.
And take the helmet of salvation, and the SWORD of the Spirit, which is the WORD of God; praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints—
and for me, that utterance may be given to me, that I may open my MOUTHboldly to make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in it I may SPEAK boldly, as I ought to speak.”
The devil trembles when you SPEAK the Word of God.
Psalm 19:14
“Let the WORDS of MY mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight,
LORD, my strength and my Redeemer.”
Words come from your thoughts. Be careful what you speak.
You need to speak Words of encouragement. Let’s make it a determination to read a chapter, or at least a verse everyday in the Bible. Then, you will know more what HE is SAYING, and what HE is saying to YOU.
Then, you will know the Will for your life.
Joshua Boyd (Young Adult Fellowship Teacher, Tremont Church)