July 7: Of Words and Their Power

1Chronicles 4:5-5:17

Acts 25:1-27

Psalm 5:1-12

Proverbs 18:19

Psalm 5:1-3

Listen to my words, Lord,

   consider my lament.

Hear my cry for help,

   my King and my God,

   for to you I pray.

In the morning, Lord, You hear my voice;

   in the morning I lay my requests before You

   and wait expectantly.

Among those who know me, there are undoubtedly many who believe I have prematurely become a curmudgeon.  If we are being perfectly honest, some of them believed it was going to happen shortly after they met me - they are just surprised today how quickly it's come true.  As evidence, they point to the things I believe, and how differently I think society should look and how differently I think people should act than, say, a millennial.   To those who see me and say "oh look: the caveman forgot his club again today!", trigger warning: what comes next may be a bit of a shock.  

In the last couple of years, protesting offensive speech has been a growth industry.  If it were a paying job (and I'm not saying that it isn't in some cases), I suspect it would have one of the highest employment growth rates of any industry.  Why do such a growing number of people feel the need to protest the very utterance of speech they find offensive?  Because they have come to the conclusion that speech one might find offensive is the equivalent of assault.  And who wouldn't want to prevent assault?  In their mind, they have concluded that words have force, have energy, have power.

Ok, here's the shocker: I AGREE WITH THEM.  Words DO have power.  They are so powerful as to be compulsive, they insist that THE MOST POWERFUL BEING listen, and they demand that He act.  Psalm 5:1-3 say as much: the all-powerful, the one true God, Who by four of His words - "Let there be light" - began the creation of all we are and all we know?  This God Who cannot lie, Whose words are true?  Our words MAKE HIM LISTEN.  How do we know this?  Well, He said so Himself - when we lament, when we cry, when we pray - He hears our voice.  And not only that, we know He will respond, because He says we can "wait expectantly".  Not wait, possibly fruitlessly - no, wait EXPECTANTLY.  We can expect that He will have heard, He will have listened, and He will respond.  Our words will have compelled God to respond.  How's that for words with power?

Father, you gave us the power to speak.  Teach us to use that ability to speak with You, knowing You love, You listen and You answer.  In Jesus's name we pray.