Monday, May 12, 2014

Power of Words ............................ Parables 116

One picture may be worth a thousand words but only cartoonists, artists and photographers grab a camera or a paintbrush more often than a dictionary.

Words communicate our desires, hopes, dreams, wisdom and even our foolishness. Words for bridges across time, miles and silence. Words define, interpret, command, inspire, describe, infuriate, soothe, inform, and confuse. Words change the way we think and act.

Of course I don’t mean the assortment of words arranged alphabetically in a dictionary like the list of ingredients in a cake. Nor do I mean the AE, AAL, NOO, ARAR, TI, XU, PHAT, VAIR, ARUMS, COL, LODED, VELA oddities used by Scrabble players and crossword puzzle addicts.

Before they stir us, words must be properly stirred together, the right words in the right order and proportions. Then they motivate our mind and emotions -- and we buy, sell, trade, weep, laugh, or angrily ball up the paper they are written on and throw the words in a trash can.

And words are definitely the tools of those who motivate change. Hitler moved his nation to war -- with words. Martin Luther King Jr. moved his race to strive for equality -- with words. Even children use words to change the mind of mom or dad, “Buy me a candy bar, pleeeese?” or “I’ll die if I can’t have the car Friday night!”

When used for change, the power of words is not so much in themselves and what they say, but in the teamwork between words and their author. The Word of God is a dynamic example. What He says, in teamwork with His Spirit, makes things happen.

Consider creation. “Then God said . . . ” and it happened. “He spoke and it was done, He commanded and it stood fast.” The same power is used to sustain creation: “He upholds all things by the WORD of His power . . . ”

Scripture says that the WORD of God cannot be silenced, ended, changed, or destroyed. It is indestructible and eternal.

Scripture also says that, “In the beginning was the WORD and the WORD was with God and the WORD was God . . . ” God and His WORD are the same thing therefore the creative force was not just words but the God who spoke them.

If that were not enough to comprehend, Scripture also says, “The WORD became flesh and dwelt among us.” It . . . or rather He, walked, talked, ate, and slept. He spoke “peace be still” and silenced storms. He whispered “be healed” and restored the sick and afflicted. He shouted “come forth” and men rose out of their coffins and tombs. No wonder the officers sent to arrest Him came back empty-handed with: “Never a man spoke like this man!”

Jesus claimed, “The words that I speak to you are spirit and they are life.” That explains why His words powerfully convicted and convinced many who heard them. “He spoke these words and many believed . . . ”

More than any other combination of words ever written, God’s WORD has power to change lives, power because it is more than a written down WORD for us to read . . . It is a living WORD - Jesus Christ, who gives life to all who listen and believe.

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