Day 95

Deuteronomy 28:1-68; Luke 11:14-36; Psalm 77:1-20; Proverbs 12:18

IN YOUR WHOLE life, what has the most ongoing and persistent effect on you? What is ubiquitous but has the profound power to create incredible courage —or to plummet you to the utter depths? What can make you at peace or completely destroy it within minutes?

Words.

The sentences we string together, from waking to sleeping, have the creative power to give life or take it, and most of the time, we’re not even thinking about this power. But words can change our mood, our outlook, our hope, our future, and our lives. They form our relationships and bind them together —or tear them apart.

The simple sentence found in our Proverbs reading today sums this up succinctly: “Some people make cutting remarks, but the words of the wise bring healing” (Proverbs 12:18).

What about our words? Are we aware of their impact? Are we known for our cutting remarks, or do we bring healing with our consonants and vowels? Because we’re bringing one or the other.

Let’s consider the words of Jesus from Luke’s Gospel today, as we think about the words we choose to speak:

Make sure that the light you think you have is not actually darkness. If you are filled with light, with no dark corners, then your whole life will be radiant, as though a floodlight were filling you with light.

WORSHIP:

O God, your ways are holy. Is there any god as mighty as you? You are the God of great wonders! You demonstrate your awesome power among the nations. By your strong arm, you redeemed your people.