spoken words

I don’t buy into the whole “name it and claim it” theology. That’s a view of a God who is too small and a human race that is too big. I also don’t buy into the whole prosperity gospel that teaches us to believe God for bigger salaries, larger houses and more expensive cars. From my perspective, the Bible tells us to depend on God and God alone for our hope and provision. Jesus actually had very harsh things to say about those who were materially rich (i.e. Luke 18:18-25). I guess the bottom line is that we do not control God, demanding whatever we want, whenever we want it. Our sovereign Master is in charge and dictates what is right and what is wrong, the correct timing, etc. On the other hand, though, there is something to be said for a tangible, spoken, verbalized faith.

I once heard an African missionary speak about faith. He made a connection I will never forget. He reminded us that, according to Genesis 1, all of creation was spoken into existence. God didn’t use any actual materials when creating us, like a carpenter would use tools and a pile of lumber. No, He simply spoke the words “Let there be light” and light appeared. He said “Let the land produce living creatures” and it just did. The spoken words of God have unlimited and phenomenal creative power. When God speaks, it happens!

This missionary went on to explain that when God created us, He did so in His own image and likeness (1:26-27). Unlike any other part of creation, we look and feel and act like God…at least in part. Unfortunately we all know from experience that we also deal with sin and weakness and failure. We are not God, but we are like God. Well logically thinking, said this missionary, if we were created in the image and likeness of God, and if God’s spoken words have creative power, perhaps our spoken words have some creative power as well.

For years psychology has talked about the power of spoken words. They may use different terminology, like “self talk,” but the idea is still the same. If a child is repeatedly told that he/she is a “loser” and “will never amount to anything,” what usually happens to that child? He/she believes and lives according to those spoken words. Likewise, if a person is constantly affirmed, encouraged and spoken to in a positive manner, he/she is very likely to have a much higher self-esteem, sense of success and happiness in life. Perhaps our verbalized words are much more powerful than we really know.

This idea is consistent with Scripture as well. James, for example, speaks of the power of the tongue. He even likens it to a small spark that can easily start a huge fire (3:5). The Psalms are full of exhortations to open our mouths and praise the Lord (i.e. Psalm 71:8). Even the art of preaching, utilized throughout history, hinges upon the spoken words of God’s people. It makes me wonder if we Christians ought to be much more serious and intentional about verbally speaking words of faith.

I spent some time in prayer this morning and, quite frankly, it was hard. I didn’t want to do it. I didn’t feel spiritual at all. What I did feel was very discouraged and defeated. All I wanted to do was whine and complain. In fact, I even told God that I was having a hard time believing in and trusting Him. I don’t think God was angry at my honesty. It was still, in fact, prayer. But then I felt compelled to push beyond that self-pitying prayer and speak in faith. Once again, I told God something like, “I don’t really believe what I’m about to say, but I’m going to say it anyway.” I then proceeded to thank God for the “impossible.” I began to verbally speak out in faith, praising God with my mouth, singing songs to Him and worshiping Him out loud with actual, literal words. And the strangest thing happened: I felt a change. I sensed my spirit lift and my heart lighten. It seemed that those weak, unfeeling words of mine somehow created a whole new atmosphere of belief and trust.

There’s nothing wrong with silent prayer, but maybe we should try more spoken prayer. We all feel bad and have pity parties now and then, but maybe we should try verbalizing some praises anyway. I realize we won’t always feel like it. We certainly won’t always want to. Try it anyway! Give it a shot! Let that faith within you come spilling out in actual words. Perhaps the creative power of God’s spoken words will show themselves in your spoken words!

ears that hear

Last week we took Josiah to the beach. It just so happened to be the day of a -3.8 tide. I’m not exactly sure what that means, but the water level was way lower than normal. We did meet a guy there who explained that once a decade or so the moon is exactly opposite us and its gravitational pull causes the tide to be pulled back far beyond what is considered typical. Evidently, the water in the Puget Sound was 3.8 feet more shallow than normal.

It was really cool. We saw starfish, sea cucumbers, a sea anemone, tons of barnacles and all kinds of other sights that are great for adults and mesmerizing for children. Josiah was so excited that he kept running off ahead of us to explore more new and uncharted territory. Each time he did we had to call him back and warn him not to get too far ahead. Well, you already know where this is going, don’t you? At one point he bolted, we yelled, but he simply wouldn’t listen. After about a 50-yard sprint, like a prisoner who just got over the wall, Josiah hit a puddle that was a little deeper than he thought and fell, face down, into it. Wet sand and salt water soaked his entire front side as 3-year old screams pierced the air. That kid didn’t even try to get up! He just lay there bawling until I ran up, pulled him out of the puddle, quickly took a picture—it was pretty funny in a twisted kind of way—and comforted him.

Now, that little guy has ears and they work just fine. As a matter of fact, they work pretty great. Carla and I can’t even seem to whisper secrets back and forth any more! He hears them all! But just because he has ears, didn’t mean he heard or listened to our warnings and cries at the beach. If only he’d paid attention to our parental advice. If only he’d obeyed our instructions. If only he had ears that hear.

Doesn’t that describe you and me? How often have we known the right thing, the wise thing, the Godly thing, but still chosen the wrong, the foolish, the ungodly. Most of us have ears that work just fine, but that doesn’t mean we truly hear, listen and obey. Like Josiah, we find ourselves far away from the familiar, loving voice of our Father. We continually fall down, with sin all over us, screaming for help. And He, like a good Father, continually comes to our rescue.

The Bible has a lot to say about this very phenomenon. The prophets, in particular, were known for their attempts to shake people up, disturb the status quo and wake people from their spiritual slumber. In Ezekiel 12:2 God tells the prophet that he lives among a people that “have eyes to see but do not see and ears to hear but do not hear, for they are a rebellious people.” Those kinds of warnings scare me a little. I don’t want to have eyes, but be blind. I don’t want to have ears and yet be deaf. I don’t want to rebel against God. I want to develop and cultivate a spiritual sensitivity for whatever God may be saying and doing.

Maybe “reality” is more than what we can physically see, hear, smell, feel and touch. Perhaps our faith in the unseen is as important—or even more important—than the seen. Maybe it’s possible to see through eyes of faith. Perhaps we can all hear through ears of faith. And maybe, just maybe, that faith will guide us to a whole new place…a whole new way of loving, living and leading like Jesus.