Life Plan Devotion #9 [Words, 2009]

Hi, Everyone.
Ready or not, 2009 is here! Let's make it the best year ever, and let's start with our words.

Life Plan Devotion #9 [Words, 2009]

     "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words can never hurt me." What a lie that is! Words are very powerful and can tear down or build up, bring out the best in a person or bring out the worst. Lives have been changed forever, by one conversation. Emily Dickinson, English poet, wrote, "'A word is dead when it is said,' some say. I say it just begins to live that day."
     We tend to forget how powerful are our words. After all, God used words to bring everything into being--"And God said, 'Let there be light,' and there was light" (Genesis 1:3). Our words are powerful, and God reminds us of that in the verse, "Death and life are in the power of the tongue" (Proverbs 18:21). May 2009 be the year that you "guard [your] mouth and [your] tongue," for that will "keep [yourself] from calamity" (Proverbs 21:23).

Psalm 19:14
"May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in Your sight, O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer."

What this has to do with weight loss:  How many times have you said something like, "I'm never going to get this weight off!" or "I can't stop eating; I have no willpower!"? Now that you know how powerful words are, be careful what you say, for when you speak, your mind and heart will work to make it come to pass--no matter if it's positive or negative.

Prayer for Today:
"Heavenly Father, You are my Rock and my Redeemer. May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in Your sight. Today, I ask You to help me become acutely aware of how my comments and conversations (even those I have with myself) positively or negatively affect others (even myself), how they build or destroy. Guide my conversations so that, through my words, You will fill others with hope and courage. If I need to speak a hard truth, Lord, let me do so from a loving heart, filled to overflowing with Your grace. May I truly be the mouthpiece of Your Holy Spirit when I speak and His ears when I listen. I pray in Jesus' Name. Amen."

Go forth today and speak good words!

Blessings,
Mary

God is definately guiding me in the direction he wants me to go for this year.  I could not believe what I read in this devotion!  I just finished reading an article from a step-parents emagazine about the power of words and then here it is again.  I know this is an area God has lots of room to work in my life.  If I may, I would like to include some verses I copied from the other article as a supplement for this:

Proverbs 13:3 "The one who guards his mouth preserves his life; the one who opens wide his lips comes to ruin"

Proverbs 12:18 "There is one who speaks rashly like the thrusts of a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing"

God bless,
Laura

Hi, Laura.
I remember when the Lord was dealing with me about my NOT wanting to forgive some people who had been in my life and had hurt me. Everything I read, everything I heard, every sermon, etc. was about forgiveness. It drove me batty! Of course, I knew it was something I needed to do--forgive, but I sure fought it. When I finally gave in, purely out of obedience, an amazing wave of so many emotions: love, joy, peace, patience (all of the Fruit of the Spirit) washed over me. It gives me chills, to this day, just thinking about it. All that to say that I love how the Lord uses multiple sources to speak to us, to confirm His Word to us.
Proverbs has so many great verses on guarding one's tongue. Thank you for sharing two excellent ones.
Blessings,
Mary