The power of life and death (18:2)
- Proverbs 18:21 This is a powerful verse that perhaps we often overlook or forget about.
- This means that means you will receive either good or evil according to the quality of your speech.
- You get what you speak, our words are that powerful. The power of God inhabits our Words.
- Deut 30:19 Again, as in Proverbs 18:21 life and death are held in speech, blessings and curses.
- Burt this time the blessings and curses belong to the Lord. If we listen to His voice and hold fast to the Lord.
- This power that we would expect God to have, he has also given to us.
- I want to break this down into three categories as we look at this verse.
- What we say to or about God 2. What we say to or about others. 3. What we say to our about ourselves
- Do we without realizing it say things about God that are not true. But because we say them, they are what we get.? We tend to listen to the voices of the devil and let that dictate our thoughts and speech patterns.
- The issue with speaking negative words is that we give the devil permission to inhabit those words.
- Which then gives the devil the permission to move to bring about those words.
- Our tongue ought to be only about the business of praising God. For He does inhabit the praises of his people
- Find scriptures that speak to you in this regard and memorize them and speak them constantly.
- Psalm 23:6 Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life,
- These are all the word of God and not empty promises. They can become breath prayers.
- Or declare and speak the truths about who God is. Isa 43:13
- Sometimes what we say about God can be very subtle, the report of the 12 spies in Numbers 13:26-33
- In giving their report that are saying God Can’t do this.
- They spoke it, and that’s what they got.
- Now for the second one, how we speak over others.
- I can’t emphasize enough the power of this one.
- People can be fully tormented and demonized because of things people have said over them.
- So, we need to only speak to others is a way that builds them up?
- Especially people we have authority over, children.
- The best scripture for this is Eph 4:29
- We are only to speak that which builds the other person up, according to their needs.
- Which means we need to listen long enough to know what their needs are.
- We can take scripture and personalize it a bit. Jeremiah 29:11 for example
- Here is one for how we speak to those who don’t know Jesus. Col 4:5-6
- Eph 5:19-21 to others in the church
- Proverbs 11:11 This one is sobering; a whole city can be brought down by the mouth of the wicked.
- Now for the third one What we say to or about ourselves
This one has the most influence in our lives: Phil 4:13 13 ; 2 Cor 12:9;
- Psalm 139:17-18
- The whole context of this Psalm is that God knows me.
- Everything about this Psalm speaks of How intimately God knows me.
- So the thoughts that the writer here refers to are the thoughts that God has about me.
- His thoughts are related to the intimate relationship he has and wants with us.
- And should be the same thoughts we have of ourselves.
A few more important passages about the tongue.
Matt 12:36
Eph 5:4
Proverbs 17:27
Proverbs 10:19
James 3:6
Jams 3:9