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I get into trouble sometimes, not so much because of what I do or don’t do, but because of what I say, or don’t say. Does that happen to you? Me and my big mouth. My brain seems to work slower than my mouth, which is always ready with a response, whether it is needed or not.

I once read a story about a mother who took her young child to the dentist for the first time. As the dentist examined the child, he remarked that her teeth were very small. Without hesitation, the mother replied, “Wind erosion.” Sounds like something I would say.

My childhood was full of moments like that. Every report card included the same comment: “Lea talks too much in class.” It was hard to stay quiet. When the teacher asked a question, I was the one with my hand in the air, waving, almost out of my seat. I just had to speak.

Get off the telephone

Let me give you a classic example. I was about five years old, and our family lived in Brooklyn, New York. One day, the phone rang, and I answered it. My mom was in the restroom and told me to ask the caller to phone back later.

I did tell the person to call back, but not before explaining that Mama was in the restroom and would be there for a while. I said she sometimes took a long time and that I could not tell when she would come out. In fact, I added that she had already been in there longer than usual and probably had bigger problems than usual.

In the background, I could hear my mom calling out, “No! No! No! Stop!” but my mouth kept moving. I finally told the caller to phone back later and hung up.

Things changed that day for me. When my mom came out not long after, my life flashed before my eyes, most of it spent talking. I was not allowed to answer the phone again for a very long time.

Over time, I learned to control my mouth somewhat, and the comments about “chattering” stopped appearing on my report cards. But while I managed to hold back at times, that impulse to fill the silence remained. When I did not know what to say, I would say something anyway instead of admitting, “I don’t know,” and that often led me into trouble.

Words matter

Words are incredibly important to our lives. With our words, we shape more than we realize:

1. Words shape the atmosphere. You know that feeling when everything is going well, and then someone says something awkward or harsh, and the mood shifts. The room feels heavier, all because of a few words. The opposite is also true. One person can bring good news, and the whole atmosphere lifts.
2. Words shape a reputation. What a person says reveals much about them. Words can come across as positive, negative, critical, peaceful, generous, or harsh. They matter as much as our actions. As believers, we may say we “live” our testimony, but if we never speak it, what sets us apart? It is Jesus who has made the difference, and that must be said.
3. Words shape the direction of our lives. What we say in an interview can determine whether we are hired. What we communicate to others affects how we are received. If a proposal is never spoken, there is no wedding. Words move life forward.
4. Words shape our attitudes. What we say reflects what is happening within us. If we give in to negative speech, our outlook often follows. But if we choose to speak hope and faith, even when it is difficult, something begins to shift within us.

Still need convincing?

If you remain unconvinced that words matter, pay attention the next time a false rumor spreads about you. Words carry weight. What we say, and what we choose not to say, has real impact.

Years ago, when we lived in Florida, there was a rumor that the state would be overtaken by a tidal wave. It caused widespread panic, and people started to flee. My father-in-law and mother-in-law were pastoring our home church at the time. While others ran, they stayed calm and brought peace amidst the chaos. They did not react to the rumor. They remained steady, and life went on.

God is an Author

Our God is a God of words. He is an Author. He initiates, speaks, and creates. Genesis 1 and 2 show us how He brought the world into existence. He spoke, and it was done. Day and night, oceans, land, vegetation, animals, fish, and every living thing came into being by His Word. He had a plan, spoke it, and it became reality.

“By the word of the Lord were the heavens made, and all their host by the breath of His mouth.”

Psalm 33:6 (AMP)

What is even more remarkable is what happened when God created mankind. There was a pause, a moment of intention. We were not created with a simple “let there be.” There was consideration.

“Then God said, ‘Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”

Genesis 1:26 (NKJV)

Notice the words “Us” and “Our.” God was speaking within the Godhead. The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit were present. When it came to creating mankind, there was a deliberate act. You and I were not casually spoken into existence.

There was purpose in our creation. We were made in His image so that we could represent Him.

How powerful are God’s words! And if we are created in His image, how powerful are ours?

A question

Here is an intriguing question: can we see words when they are spoken? Could anyone see the words God spoke when He created the world? No. But we can see what His words produced. In the same way, we cannot see our words, but we can see their effect, whether they bring harm or align with God and His Word.

“By faith we understand that the worlds [during successive ages] were framed (fashioned, put in order, and equipped for their intended purpose) by the word of God, so that what we see was not made out of things which are visible.”

Hebrews 11:3 (AMP)

When we speak of God’s Word, we must understand that it is more than a book.

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.”

John 1:1–3 (NKJV)

How was the Word present in the beginning? Where do we see Him in creation? In Genesis 1, we read the phrase “God said” again and again. Each time, the Word was spoken, and creation came into being.

At creation, everything came into existence through the breath and spoken Word of the Father, and that Word is Jesus.

We have received Him by faith. We did not see Him when we believed, but the change is real. We see what He has done. He heals, restores, and gives life. We may not see Him with our eyes, but we see the evidence of His work. He is real.

Whose word is worth following?

The Word of God is alive and active. It is not distant or outdated. It is present and at work in the lives of those who hold onto it and allow it to shape them.

So the question is clear. Whose word will we follow?

Our own words often rise and fall with our feelings. What we feel can change quickly, and it does not always lead us well. Society tells us what to think and say so we can fit in, yet it still leaves us lacking. Friends may speak with good intentions, but their words are limited. What is popular today will not remain tomorrow.

But God’s Word does not change. It is steady. It is reliable. It stands firm.

“Forever, O Lord, Your Word is settled in heaven [stands firm as the heavens].”

Psalm 119:89 (AMP)

Everything else shifts. His Word does not. The question is not whether it will stand, but whether we will choose to follow it.

God’s Word is still working

God is still at work. He is still writing, and He is listening to what we say.

“Then those who feared the Lord talked often to one another; and the Lord listened and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before Him of those who reverenced and worshipfully feared the Lord and who thought on His name…”

Malachi 3:16–18 (AMP)

We often think our words are unimportant, but Scripture shows otherwise. God listens. He pays attention. What we say matters. Our words carry weight. They can build up or tear down. They can reflect truth or drift from it. And God is not distant from them. He hears, and He records.

What are we communicating to one another? What kind of record is being written about our words?

Malachi shows us that when those who fear the Lord speak together, God takes notice. Their words are remembered. More than that, their words reflect who they belong to. They are set apart from those who do not serve Him.

“…For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things. But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the Day of Judgment. For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”

Matthew 12:34-37 (NKJV)

This raises the stakes; words carry meaning. We must be careful with our speech. How do we do that? Compare what we say to the Word that never disappoints or changes: God’s Word.

Never disappointed

Unlike society, friends, family, and even ourselves, God’s Word remains unchanged. It is dependable, certain, and never fails. When we trust in His Word, we will not be disappointed.

Have you ever felt disappointed? You book a trip and it gets canceled because of weather. You’re promised a promotion, but someone else gets it. As a child, you ask for a gift and it never arrives. You hope for things to improve, yet the struggle continues.

Some disappointments are out of our control. Others are not. But the deepest disappointment often happens when a promise is broken.

Our Father is faithful to His Word. He never fails. And when we truly believe that, it transforms how we live.

Why is it so hard?

If we know all this about God’s Word, why is it still so hard to accept it, this living Word, and store it in our hearts? Where is our joy? Where have we placed our hope? In friends, family, news reports, or politics?

As the state of this world worsens, the opportunity for God’s people grows. We are called to reveal and proclaim how great and trustworthy our Father’s promises are. Even in a disappointing world, we remain secure, steady, and move forward.

How can we say that? What if everything shifts? What if the systems we rely on fail? What if things become more uncertain?

Whose word holds more power, God’s or the world’s?

“For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.”

Hebrews 4:12 (NKJV)

Books as we know them are not alive. This verse points us to a Person. Jesus is the living Word. He discerns the thoughts and intentions of the heart. He is alive, and His Word, alive in us, carries power.

This message isn’t about a distant historical figure. Jesus is a present reality. He speaks, works, and has entered into our story. What He has done extends beyond time.

The Word becomes alive in us

A group of Christians in China was visited by Wayne Cordeiro, author of The Divine Mentor. These believers endured much to attend the secret meetings he held. Because large gatherings could attract attention, he taught a small group of about twenty people. For three consecutive days, he preached for ten hours each day.

This small group represented millions of believers across the country. Among them, only a few Bibles were available to share. Yet, they had memorized entire chapters and even books of Scripture. Many had been imprisoned. It was said that the typical sentence for practicing Christianity was three years. Because of this, it became crucial for them to hide the Word in their hearts.

They explained that Bibles and handwritten notes could be taken from them at any time, but what had already been stored within could not be taken away.

I don’t see these believers trying to escape hardship. I see them enduring it through the strength of the Word. Scripture is full of promises that sustain us, often in unexpected ways.

Understanding without knowing everything

Some people have told me they would read the Bible if they could only understand it. My response is simple: how much of what happens in this world do we fully understand?

Do we understand the stock market? Not really, yet we follow it and value what we can grasp.
Do we understand space and the galaxies beyond us? No, yet we study them.
Do we understand politics? Still, we follow it.
Do we understand how antibiotics work? Yet we take them.
Do we fully understand math or grammar? Some of us struggle there, too.

We live with many things we do not fully understand, yet we engage with them anyway.

So why did those believers in China risk everything just to know this book? Why risk their lives and safety? Because they recognized its value. They understood that God speaks through its pages.

Our words or His?

Let me ask you something: what is more important in our prayer and devotional life, our speaking or His? We need to pray, but we often forget how crucial it is to listen to Him. His voice is heard through His Word. It’s good to read books by trusted authors, like The Divine Mentor, but no book is inspired in the same way as the Bible.

“All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.”

1 Timothy 3:16-17 (NKJV)

God Himself authored the Book, the Bible. He needs no foreword, no introduction, and no endorsement. He stands behind His Word.

Who needs sound doctrine? Who needs correction and instruction? Every one of us. This Word is what completes and equips us. Without it, we are not moving forward. Like a vehicle without wheels or a sailboat without sails, we are not going anywhere.

If you want to hear what God has spoken, you need to turn to His Word. Nothing else compares.

There are many valuable books that teach us through the lives of others. We can learn from people like Louis Pasteur, William Shakespeare, Abraham Lincoln, Martin Luther King, and many more.

But there is only one book with heavenly mentors, and that is the Bible. If we can cite earthly sources more quickly than Scripture, we should ask ourselves where our loyalties lie.

Jesus Himself quoted Scripture while He was on earth. At the cross, as He was suffering separation from His Father, He spoke the words of David from Psalm 22:1: “My God, my God, why have You forsaken Me?”

God has given authority to the writings of these men and women. If Jesus spoke their words, shouldn’t we do the same?

Blessed is he who reads

“Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of this prophecy and keep those things which are written in it; for the time is near.”

Revelation 1:3 (NKJV)

I love reading and enjoy authors like Wayne Cordeiro, Timothy Keller, Larry Osborne, and Amy Carmichael. There is much to learn from them, but I do not see a promise in Scripture that blesses reading any book except the one God has authored.

Time changes many things. Authors come and go. Seasons shift. Yet the Bible remains. It remains the most widely read book in the world. Many have tried to destroy and distort its message, but it remains constant.

During the Enlightenment, a French writer named Voltaire claimed that he and others would overthrow the Bible within a generation. History tells a different story. About fifty years later, the Geneva Bible Society moved into his former home and used his printing presses to produce Bibles.

Nothing can destroy God’s Word. People may try to ban it, burn it, or silence it, but when history as we know it comes to an end, His Word will remain. Eternal, alive, active, and still speaking.

Consider this. In eternity, the familiar words we often pass over, John 3:16: “For God so loved the world…” will still be speaking and working. How much of that simple verse do we truly grasp?

Our words must be His words

Why not embrace what is eternal and make it part of our lives and conversations? I would rather speak words that last than the empty things I sometimes say without thinking. My words should reflect His.

At Christmastime, we remember that the Word became flesh. Jesus came into the world as Emmanuel, God with us. So here is the question: did He leave? Has He gone and left us alone?

No. The Word remains. He is revealed as we open His Word. He has spoken, He is speaking, and He will continue to speak. He is with us.

He is the best-selling Author of all time, and He is not finished.

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Related reading: For more about the Bible, you may enjoy the following post and page:

Your Relationship with God Post

Bible Studies Page

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