DEATH AND LIFE

PROVERBS 18:21 NKJ 
21 Death and life are in the power of the tongue, 
And those who love it will eat its fruit.  

This verse is one of my most quoted verses as I speak.  The power that is in our words is still far too underestimated.  And yet, the scriptures are very clear, death and life are in our words.   

In the book of Genesis, in the very beginning, we see God speaking and the world and everything in it coming into existence.   

We are His children made in His image.  We may not be creating worlds with our words, but we are creating the environment we live in.   

Early in our marriage, this truth became the way Joy and I function.  We began to make certain that we were speaking life regarding our marriage, children, church, health, strength, finances, every area.   

We have not even mentioned divorce more than one or two times in our 39 years together.  This is not to brag on us.  Our marriage got off to a bad start, and if we had talked divorce, we would have opened the door to divorce happening for us. So, we learned to speak life or nothing at all.   

A word regarding nothing at all.  It's better than negatives (death), but the best thing is to speak life.  Words, they can lift us or lower us.  Thank God we can choose.    

APPLICATION 

Do a word audit this upcoming week.  How often are you speaking words of death?  These are negative words that may define your current situation, but they will not help your situation.  Speak words of life, looking to God's word as a pattern.  Words of - I can.  God is helping me. The Holy Spirit is guiding me.  I will overcome this problem.  My kids are turning out great! 

Because we all are going to say something, make sure your words are something you can live well with.   

Dear Father,  

Teach me how to speak life over every area of my life.  Alert me when my words have death in them.  I want to lift others and myself with my words.