POWER OF THE WORD: PURPOSEFUL POWER
…so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.
Isaiah 55:11 (ESV)
Words have power. We’ve all experienced this in many ways. If you own a company or are in a leadership position, you issue directives with the expectation that your team will fulfill them. If you’re a parent and you tell your child to pick up after themselves, you expect your child to respect your instruction. If you ask a question, you do so with intent and the expectation of an honest answer.
But we’ve also experienced the disappointment and frustration of our words falling flat. Your team or employee fails to honor your request. Your child disrespects you by ignoring the chore. You ask the question, but the answer rings hollow. We’ve experienced these scenarios, and we’ve also been the employee who missed the mark, the child who disrespected our parents, and the one who gave a hollow answer.
God always knows exactly what His words will accomplish. He understands the power of every word that exits His mouth. He knows whether an expectation will be fulfilled, whether a command will be respected and whether a question will be answered truthfully. The heart of the recipient and the outcome of His words are already known.
We need to be purposeful with our words to accomplish our goals, manage our kingdoms and discern truth, but our attempts are imperfect, and we often fall short. God, however, never speaks needlessly. He never makes word salad or rambles, has a slip of the tongue, never loses His train of thought, and never says anything He doesn’t mean. When you read His Word and communicate with Him, find comfort in knowing that every word is purposeful, honest and necessary. And He’s always speaking to you.
APPLICATION: Think of a conversation you know you’ll need to have. Whether heavy or light, serious or fun, ask God to clarify your words. Ask Him for a heart that wants to speak the right words and receive words well.
PRAYER: Father, thank You for being a God of communication. Thank You for speaking to the world and to me. Please give me ears to listen. Give me wisdom with my words so they more closely resemble Yours. Amen.
“… Our Father in heaven…” Matthew 6:9b (NLT)
- What do You want to say to me today as my Father?
“… may Your name be kept holy.” Matthew 6:9c (NLT)
- What do You want to reveal to me about Your power today?
“May Your Kingdom come soon.” Matthew 6:10a (NLT)
- Help me make Your priorities my priorities today.
“Give us today the food we need,” Matthew 6:11 (NLT)
- Is there anything specific You want me to do with my time or the people I’m around today?
“and forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us” Matthew 6:12 (NLT)
- Reveal to me anyone I need to forgive or ask for forgiveness.
“And don’t let us yield to temptation…” Matthew 6:13a (NLT)
- Is there anywhere I’m vulnerable to temptation?