Words That Impart Life

I mentioned last week about a voice mail message that I had received that was not the most encouraging message that I have ever heard!  To be honest, I was avoiding calling the individual back as I didn’t want to hear more of her “take” on my wife and I.  The more I thought about it, the more frustrated I got.  I finally decided to bring it to the Lord and find out His thoughts and directions on the matter.  I simply asked Him to show me how I was to deal with the folks who never seem to take our words and actions seriously and did little to encourage us during our conversations.

A day or so later I suddenly realized that these folks hardly ever mention God’s Word when we talk, much less concern themselves with the large dosages of the Word that we believe the Lord prescribed for us to continually speak over Piper.  Most of what they speak about concerns their natural understanding of things.  The more I thought about that, the more I began to understand why I usually feel a bit confused following time spent with them.

A few days ago my wife, the dog and I were on one of our daily walks around the community when a lady walked down a pathway from her apartment to her car.  She said “hello” and we talked briefly and then moved on.  After a slight pause she called back to us and said, “You know, God is going to take care of your wife!”  Well, needless to say that definitely encouraged me, and I called back to her, thanked her and told her that we agree!  But it wasn’t over yet.  By the time we crossed the street and had walked past the mailboxes, she had gotten in her car and had driven over to the mail box kiosk where she rolled down the window and continued to encourage us with what she knew that the Lord would do for Piper!

Now that it the kind of conversation that will build up, fill up and strengthen anyone that is going through difficult times.  This wonderful lady’s words were based on what God said, not on man’s reasoning’s.  And those words blessed us!  On Saturday morning the Lord led me to Jeremiah 1:12 where He spoke to the prophet declaring” “Thou have seen well: for I am watching over my word to perform it.” (ESV)  Then a few minutes later as I was speaking the Word over my wife as per her daily get up routine, the Lord suddenly spoke to my heart saying: “My Word is the only Word that I watch over to perform!”

That revelation made me stop in mid-sentence the scripture I was speaking out and caused me to loudly exclaim: “Whoa!”  My outburst even made my wife open her eyes and look at me like she was saying, “Well… what is it?  Tell me, tell me!”  So I told her my thoughts.  In that micro-second of time the Lord showed me that He only moves or fashions or produces in our lives the things that His words speak of.  The words spoken from man’s reasoning do not move Him.  He does not take action on man’s words, but only on His because His Word produces life! 

That is why I always feel empty when the conversation doesn’t mention Him, His Word or His abilities!  Words based on man’s reasoning have no life in them!  In John 6:63 Jesus said that “The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life.” (ESV)  John 10:10 informs us that the very reason that Jesus came to us was to not only give us this Zoë God kind of life, but to give it to us more abundantly!  Now that is pretty exciting wouldn’t you say?

Then as I knelt next to my wife on Saturday morning and shared my revelation with Piper, I suddenly had another “Ah-Ha!” moment recalling that John 1:1 tell us that Jesus and His Word are one in the same!  That’s why they are life!  They don’t just contain life, but they are ARE life because they are Jesus Himself being imparted into us!  That is the reason the Apostle Paul could unequivocally state that “The word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” (Hebrews 4:12 ESV)

The Lord then continued and stated that “If the words men speak that are based on their own reasoning don’t move me, don’t let them move you!  And He went on and gave me a few ways to accomplish this… but that revelation will be for another blog post!  In the meantime…if you really want to encourage someone today, I would recommend that you speak the Word of life into them.  Speak the Word of God, but not just as something quoted from a book but from the depths of your personal experience with the living and active person of Jesus Christ!  Like that women at the mailbox the other day, just speak the life that is in your hearts.  Those words will make a difference that no word of reason can come close to!

Have a great week.  Stay in tune to His Word, and keep asking yourself… “What or Who’s Words am I expecting to share today?