Life-Giving words (3)

Hello everyone,

How are you doing on this day? I hope well and bubbling in the Lord.

Still looking into how our words can bring life or death. We see another case of the children of Israel, when they send spies into the land of Canaan to check out the land. The Bible records:

Primary Text

“And they returned from searching of the land after forty days. And they went and came to Moses, and to Aaron, and to all the congregation of the children of Israel, unto the wilderness of Paran, to Kadesh; and brought back word unto them, and unto all the congregation, and shewed them the fruit of the land. And they told him, and said, We came unto the land whither thou sentest us, and surely it floweth with milk and honey; and this is the fruit of it. Nevertheless the people be strong that dwell in the land, and the cities are walled, and very great: and moreover we saw the children of Anak there. The Amalekites dwell in the land of the south: and the Hittites, and the Jebusites, and the Amorites, dwell in the mountains: and the Canaanites dwell by the sea, and by the coast of Jordan. And Caleb stilled the people before Moses, and said, Let us go up at once, and possess it; for we are well able to overcome it. But the men that went up with him said, We be not able to go up against the people; for they are stronger than we. And they brought up an evil report of the land which they had searched unto the children of Israel, saying, The land, through which we have gone to search it, is a land that eateth up the inhabitants thereof; and all the people that we saw in it are men of a great stature. And there we saw the giants, the sons of Anak, which come of the giants: and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight. And all the congregation lifted up their voice, and cried; and the people wept that night. And all the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron: and the whole congregation said unto them, Would God that we had died in the land of Egypt! or would God we had died in this wilderness! And wherefore hath the Lord brought us unto this land, to fall by the sword, that our wives and our children should be a prey? were it not better for us to return into Egypt?” Numbers 13v25-14v3 (KJV)

Imagine yourself in a position of leadership, where thus far you have been leading this group of people, feeding them, protecting them, shielding them. You have told them about this wonderful place that you are taking them to, and right at the edge of the land, they get discouraged, say awful things like o, we should have died on the way, and that they want to go back. Well, God was totally displeased with this. In what they did, they questioned God’s love for them, His motives for bringing them out and His ability to accomplish what He had promised. Beloved, are you in this same state where a situation has arisen and you have begun to question and doubt God’s love for you, His motives for your life and ability to keep you? Don’t. Have a honest conversation with the Lord about where you are at, and speak what you know is true – that He loves you and has plans to prosper and not harm you. For the children of Israel, God said He heard what they had spoken in His ears, and will do to them according as they had said.

Supplementary Text

“How long shall I bear with this evil congregation, which murmur against me? I have heard the murmurings of the children of Israel, which they murmur against me. Say unto them, As truly as I live, saith the Lord, as ye have spoken in mine ears, so will I do to you: Your carcases shall fall in this wilderness; and all that were numbered of you, according to your whole number, from twenty years old and upward which have murmured against me. Doubtless ye shall not come into the land, concerning which I sware to make you dwell therein, save Caleb the son of Jephunneh, and Joshua the son of Nun. But your little ones, which ye said should be a prey, them will I bring in, and they shall know the land which ye have despised. But as for you, your carcases, they shall fall in this wilderness. And your children shall wander in the wilderness forty years, and bear your whoredoms, until your carcases be wasted in the wilderness. After the number of the days in which ye searched the land, even forty days, each day for a year, shall ye bear your iniquities, even forty years, and ye shall know my breach of promise. I the Lord have said, I will surely do it unto all this evil congregation, that are gathered together against me: in this wilderness they shall be consumed, and there they shall die.” Numbers 14v27-35 (KJV)

Prayer

Father, we thank You for the power You have given to words. We ask O Lord for Your mercy and forgiveness for words that we have spoken against You even though You have shown us Your faithfulness over and over again. Forgive us O Lord. We pray that You will help us that our words will always glorify You and be life-giving words in Jesus name, amen.