admin
08-20-2007, 03:55 PM
WORDS CAN CRUSH OR COMFORT
A person's words can be life—giving water; words of true wisdom are as refreshing as a bubbling brook…The human spirit can endure a sick body, but who can bear it if the spirit is crushed?…Words satisfy the soul as food satisfies the stomach; the right words on a person's lips bring satisfaction.
Proverbs 18:4, 14, 20
Our Father amazes me. One of my favorite preachers is Joyce Meyer. At one time listening to her rough voice over the radio was a bit annoying, but as I listened to her message I wanted to hear more from her. She rightly divides the Word of Truth. Over and over she hits me right where I am or right where I have been and her words bring comfort and hope to me. When she shares what a struggle it was to get her ministry off and running — I am comforted. Then, there are those moments, as I have shared, that the voices from my past push out present teaching.
Building a ministry based on faith is a lesson in and of itself. Trusting God for everything really brings home the importance and necessity of prayer. I woke up yesterday morning with a deep sense of heaviness. I literally did not want to fight the fight of faith anymore. I simply wanted to just be a person. Then, the Holy Spirit reminded me that this was a test and I started praising God — such power — that act of praise in the midst of problems and pain.
Several years ago, while writing the devotional for victims of sexual abuse, my phone rang. It was a person in distress. It seemed this person's grandchild was having emotional problems that someone labeled "demon possession." There was to be a family conference and they wanted me to sit in to discern the truth. I immediately responded that I would be there, entered into prayer, showered, and left.
As I listened to the father of this little girl describe her behavior I felt his anger, frustration, and pain. It is hard to admit that you have failed your child and because of your failure she is suffering and also causing others to suffer. She was present at the table as he described her "imaginary friends" who tell her to do bad things and hurt people. I listened with both my knowledge of counseling and the power of the Holy Spirit and knew this child had a wounded spirit, which had indeed been overwhelmed with the spirit of abandonment and rejection. Her spirit was crushed. Yes, she needed help, but her major needs were words of hope — not condemnation.
Oddly, this child was "crushed" by a tree in the midst of a storm back in May when it fell into the mobile home where she was staying. She was home on leave from the children's ranch where she was living for her "demonic" behavior. Oh, don't you know as parents we would change much of our thinking if we knew our child would soon not be with us? Most of the time all it takes is an encouraging word for both the hurting and the one doing the hurting to get through their battles.
We truly minimize the power of our words in the lives of one another. When all a child hears is how bad they are, and are then neglected by the ones they are crying out in need of attention from — it gives Satan a wonderful opportunity to come in and make himself at home — and yes, he loves doing this to small children. Psalm 119:28 speaks for all of us, "I weep with grief; encourage me by your word." Although this was a cry for God and His Word, for a child (and for us) His Word needs a carrier. Will you be a carrier for someone today?
--Woes To Wow
A person's words can be life—giving water; words of true wisdom are as refreshing as a bubbling brook…The human spirit can endure a sick body, but who can bear it if the spirit is crushed?…Words satisfy the soul as food satisfies the stomach; the right words on a person's lips bring satisfaction.
Proverbs 18:4, 14, 20
Our Father amazes me. One of my favorite preachers is Joyce Meyer. At one time listening to her rough voice over the radio was a bit annoying, but as I listened to her message I wanted to hear more from her. She rightly divides the Word of Truth. Over and over she hits me right where I am or right where I have been and her words bring comfort and hope to me. When she shares what a struggle it was to get her ministry off and running — I am comforted. Then, there are those moments, as I have shared, that the voices from my past push out present teaching.
Building a ministry based on faith is a lesson in and of itself. Trusting God for everything really brings home the importance and necessity of prayer. I woke up yesterday morning with a deep sense of heaviness. I literally did not want to fight the fight of faith anymore. I simply wanted to just be a person. Then, the Holy Spirit reminded me that this was a test and I started praising God — such power — that act of praise in the midst of problems and pain.
Several years ago, while writing the devotional for victims of sexual abuse, my phone rang. It was a person in distress. It seemed this person's grandchild was having emotional problems that someone labeled "demon possession." There was to be a family conference and they wanted me to sit in to discern the truth. I immediately responded that I would be there, entered into prayer, showered, and left.
As I listened to the father of this little girl describe her behavior I felt his anger, frustration, and pain. It is hard to admit that you have failed your child and because of your failure she is suffering and also causing others to suffer. She was present at the table as he described her "imaginary friends" who tell her to do bad things and hurt people. I listened with both my knowledge of counseling and the power of the Holy Spirit and knew this child had a wounded spirit, which had indeed been overwhelmed with the spirit of abandonment and rejection. Her spirit was crushed. Yes, she needed help, but her major needs were words of hope — not condemnation.
Oddly, this child was "crushed" by a tree in the midst of a storm back in May when it fell into the mobile home where she was staying. She was home on leave from the children's ranch where she was living for her "demonic" behavior. Oh, don't you know as parents we would change much of our thinking if we knew our child would soon not be with us? Most of the time all it takes is an encouraging word for both the hurting and the one doing the hurting to get through their battles.
We truly minimize the power of our words in the lives of one another. When all a child hears is how bad they are, and are then neglected by the ones they are crying out in need of attention from — it gives Satan a wonderful opportunity to come in and make himself at home — and yes, he loves doing this to small children. Psalm 119:28 speaks for all of us, "I weep with grief; encourage me by your word." Although this was a cry for God and His Word, for a child (and for us) His Word needs a carrier. Will you be a carrier for someone today?
--Woes To Wow