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That word. Those sentences.
Spoken or written.
You know that word or those words well.
You heard them- clearly.
You read them- black and white or color.
There is an unchanging and definitive authority of ink on paper or the words in a voice that can change our present in a second. Our breath is taken away as if the strongest punch has been delivered to our chest and we are left gasping for air on the floor.
What are the words that you've heard dictated into your life this past year, a few months ago, or just yesterday?
What news came your way and in an instant, the sunlight before you became a heavy darkness that fell upon your shoulders. Mere words made up of letters that alone have very little to say but scribbled together can either proclaim life or pronounce death and defeat.
You and I know all too well the power of words.
A friendship restored. Forgiven.
An engagement. Hooray!
A medical diagnosis. Tears.
The loss of employment. Worry.
A marriage infidelity. Unforgiveness.
A knock on the door to share devastating news. Shock.
A text that says a relationship is over. Hurt.
The phone call that says, "Stop praying. He has gone on to be with the Lord." Abandoned.
A sentence of years locked away in prison. Death.
A judge taking away your kids. Regret.
That letter on your door with final notice for you to take your belongings and leave. Failure.
A bank account on zero balance. Forsaken.
The voicemail reminding you of bills way overdue. Stress.
The group at school that didn't choose you. Unwanted.
The church group that chose to exclude you, again. Hypocrites.
The words you shared in confidence being shared on a pulpit. Liars.
A report card that says you have failed again. Defeat.
A test not passed. Confusion.
A medical condition that keeps you on disability. Struggling.
The one you love walks away, forever. Unloved.
Words.
Disrespectful words.
Loud! cursing! Embarrassing!
Words that go ignored and unheard.
Children disrespecting parents, hurting them, with words.
Discouragement. A husband being humiliated. A wife being battered. A child being abused with words.
These are only words but oh, the power they hold to affect us and change us. Or do they? Words can build us up to where we feel ten feet tall and an overcomer or they can tear us apart and smash us to dust.
But, I chose to write these words tonight because although words are mighty, they are not more powerful than the Word of Life, the Word made flesh, the Word who was in the Beginning, the Word present in creation and promising to be there until our last breath.
Yes, I am not diminishing the words you have heard. I am not belittling the words on a document that prove what is happening to you right now. I myself have had words spoken to declare all the wrong that was coming my way and all that was wrong with me at the moment. I too, have heard the words spoken about the sickness, the infirmity, and the painful situations in my own home and in my family. So, God forbid I make light of your own grief or despair.
Hope remains alive if we choose to allow new words, like seeds planted in good soil, to fall and take root. Perhaps if we welcome the words of God's blessings and promises to grow in the soil of our pain and disappointment, perhaps we just might find enough strength to face the verdict written and spoken against us. Some words promise life.
I recently thought on the scripture that says, "He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty." Psalm 91:1. Shadows need cloudy days in order for the sun breaking through the clouds to make it possible for us to see our shadows. It is for sure in those difficult times that we see ourselves hidden under his shadow, covered by His presence. And although I believed this verse was enough of a reminder of what God promises me, I chose to continue reading the words in Psalm 91.
(2) Words. He is my refuge and my fortress.
(3) Surely, He will deliver me from the snare of the fowler and the noisome pestilence. His Word will deliver me from the traps and the plagues.
(4) He will cover me with his feathers and under his wings I shall trust, His truth shall be my shield and buckler.
And what do we do when we fall into the trap set before us? How do we respond when the sickness consumes us and turns our life upside down? Or do these words just figuratively point me to go and find my hiding place in the presence of the Lord?
(5) Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night nor the arrow that flies by day.
Words. You shall not be afraid. Of what? The terrors that show up in our darkest night or the assaults and the arrows that come to destroy us in broad daylight. They happen, you know. Fear. Terror. Fainting in our faith, alone, hurt. Because it does not say that these things are not going to happen but that when the terror comes to terrorize you and when you see the arrows coming straight at you, you and I, yes, you and I shall not be afraid.
(6) Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday. The Words in Psalm 91 are saying these things should not take us by surprise because we might experience them. But, if and when we do, fear not. If we dwell in the secret place of the Most High.... those words make all the difference and they take over and go over all the other words spoken to plant fear and dismay.
(15) He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him. (16) With long life will I satisfy him, and shew him my salvation.
Do you call for help if everything is going wonderfully amazing in your life? I don't think so! We send out an S.O.S. when all hell is breaking loose in our life. The words here say that God will answer us when we call upon Him and He will be with us. When? Is God showing up when the unicorns and the mermaids are singing songs in our living room or when life hurts and you are angry and in despair? God will be with you and me when we are in trouble. In other words, we cannot and most likely will not escape trouble all the time. His Words are enough for me. He will show up. When I am in trouble. When my life is a mess. When I don't know what to do.
God will deliver me. Somehow. Someway. He will help me. Maybe not the way I wish or want Him to. He will honor me. Honor me? But, I am a mess. A broken mess in the battle and God shows up to promise me and you long life and salvation. We might not always see answers to our prayers the way we expect or desire, but the answer will come.
Sometimes the Lord heals our bodies and sometimes the Lord gives rest to our bodies and takes His children home. Sometimes, the Lord heals broken marriages and sometimes He heals the hearts of those whose marriages end. Sometimes, the Lord gives us a new job. Sometimes, the Lord changes our destinies and shows us a new career path, a new ministry, a new path.
Sometimes, the Lord restores friendship and relationships. There is reconciliation, forgiveness, and God doing a new thing in our midst. Sometimes, God shows us those relationships were for a season, to just teach us, and He sends new people into our lives for the next chapter of our life. Sometimes, we walk with the multitude and sometimes we walk alone, depending only on Him.
Words, they are powerful. You and I will need to choose how to use them, how to embrace them, how to reject them, and how to speak them. I wrote tonight for those whose life is being changed by spoken or written words that leave only disappointment, shame, and heartbreak. Can I invite you to make God's Word your "go to" when the clouds are heavy and your world is falling apart? The scriptures do not promise rainbows and choirs singing every moment of our day, but that God will be there with us when it hurts and when we don't understand.
Lord, help my friend, my brother and sister tonight. You know their valleys of shadow and death, you know the news they've received. You know their struggles and their pain. God, you are not ignorant of their confusion and their questions. Be the God that shows up in the shadows. Be the God that shows up in the dark and when the arrows are flying our way. Be the Word that speaks against the adversity and the chaos written and spoken against your children. In Jesus Name, Amen.
Word Title sign used from https://www.cbc.ca/kids/articles/seven-weird-words-in-the-english-language
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