A New Year, A Fresh Start

As we begin a New Year, the Holy Spirit calls. "Let's start fresh"and with that He reveals one of the most important lessons we can apply to our lives and our walk.

His first lesson of the New Year is "put a guardian on your tongue. Beware the power of the spoken word". James 3:9 says, "with the tongue we praise our Lord and Father and with it we curse men who are have been made in God's likeness."

The spoken word carries great power in the unseen realm. "In the beginning God said, and it was." Every "careless" spoken word is what men will have to account for on the day of judgment. Matt 12:36-37

Scripture points to the importance and power of our spoken words. Numbers 22:5-12 gives the account of the King of Moab who was in fear of the Israelites. He summoned a man known for "divination", to come and speak a curse over the nation of Israel in the hopes he would be able to defeat them and drive them out of his country. The ancient world was schooled in the power of curses and blessings through the spoken word. Balaam was the man called to curse Israel. The scriptures do not deny that he was capable of sending forth a curse but speak of God's Sovereign intervention that stopped the curse from being spoken and turned the words into a blessing.

As we begin a New Year, I am convicted and convinced that I must watch the words I speak because the enemy uses the words of our mouth to defeat us and each other in the Body of Christ.

The enemy whispers doubts and fears into our ears. Those words when not contradicted by truth or faith hit a responsive cord within our being and we utter them in destructive ways that give the enemy permission to act.

Self doubt can produce defeating words. "I can't do this, I can't do that" become the very things that defeat what could have been our victory when not accompanied with the truth "But in Christ I can do all things".

The enemy is the accuser of the brethren. He whispers his accusations against our brothers and sisters in Christ into our ear, then our ungodly, ill spoken repeat of those oppressive judgemental words over each other once spoken have the power to oppress if not defeat the Body of Believers.

The enemy will use our self-defeating, and accusatory words in the battle to destroy us. We must be wise and not ignorant of his schemes.

May we begin this New Year with a bridle on our tongues being ever mindful of our words. May we speak only those words that edify and bring encouragement to our lives and the lives of those around us. May we always and only speak the powerful words that Glorify our Creator and our King.

The Spirit is calling. Can you hear Him?