FW: Daily Bears us Up and Words

"Blessed be the Lord who daily bears us up;" Psalm 68:19 this would be a
great memory verse for today.
I was also reminded this morning of the importance of words used
properly. Words can give life or kill; they can lift up or put down; Words
are very powerful. God used words to create the worlds, the green grass, the
trees, and all living creatures. According to Noah Webster the author of our
first American dictionary, "Language, as well as the faculty of
speech, was the immediate gift of God."
The first activity of Adam was the use and power of language--he
named the animals. It is interesting to think that all of the words we have
today for animals came from Adam. No one has been able to change these
terms. A dog will always be a dog and a cat a cat, and a lion a lion. That
is very powerful indeed. In many ways, giving a name to someone is in a
sense a sovereign act. Today, one of the first things we do as parents is
name our children.
Jesus said that by our words we will be justified and by our words
we shall be condemned. He went on, "Every idle word that man shall speak he
shall give an account on the day of judgment." James warns how powerful
words are and warns us to not be many teachers for we shall receive the
greater condemnation.
Words well spoken are like art. I can remember when my wife and I
would sit and listen to our pastor, then, John Greening, and marvel how he
used words in a sentence. He was a word crafter and our reaction was similar
to that of seeing a Rembrandt for the first time. That is why David in
Psalm 19 says, "Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart,
be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord my strength, and my redeemer." If you
were to read Psalm 19, you would see the connection between the words that
we speak and the words/sounds that are spoken throughout creation--the
sounds of flowing water, of the leaves on the trees fluttering, the birds
chirping during the sunrise, the waves dashing, the insects chiming and
creaking. All of creation teaches us of the beauty of sound. It is pleasant
and healing. Man has built cities where there is noise that is abhorrent.
Even as I write, my neighbor is mowing their lawn and the fire siren is
ringing. In the midst of beauty and serenity there is disturbing noises.
That is why our words are so important throughout the day...they need to
lift up and console, and comfort, and edify; "Pleasant words a like a
honeycomb, sweet to the soul, and health to the bones."
There is a story told of a woman who fell and broke her arm.
X-rays revealed that her bone was shattered similar to a broken mirror. It
was found that the woman had been experiencing depression. Solomon's
insights on words being healthy to the bones can be taken literally. It was
also reported that this woman's arm healed rather quickly once her
depression was cared for. We must not underestimate the power of words.
Words have started wars and created peace. Words have healed marriages and
the hearts of our children. May the words of our mouth today be acceptable,
fragrant, and beautiful.