As this blog series “2018: A Year For Hope” winds to a close, and thoughts turn towards the shiny new year of 2019 quickly approaching, I find myself chuckling at how quickly I forget things and have to be reminded and re-reminded periodically.
I’m a journal-er. Not every day, but often enough that I have a stack of journals going back at least 8 years or so. This morning, I came across one that covered late 2017 into early 2018 and by chance I opened to read the following entry:
“I am returning my focus to ‘attending to your Word’.”
I got a chuckle out of that. No doubt, if I pulled out my older journals, I’d see that same theme repeated over and over again.
“My (daughter), attend to my words; incline your ear to my sayings.
Do not let them depart from your eyes; keep them in the midst of your heart; for they are LIFE to those who find them and HEALTH to all their body.”
(Proverbs 4:20-23)
Seems like there are recurring seasons when I am so hungry for God, so desperate to understand His heart, that unknowingly my time of coffee and morning devotions extends well beyond the allotted time (like those long conversations with a dear friend). I love those times ❤
But there are other seasons when my reading plan seems dry and burdensome. When my mind wanders and I tend to return to familiar Scriptures instead of allowing the Word to speak fresh to my heart. It is during these “other” seasons, especially if they go on for very long, that I find myself being un-attentive to the Word, which generally means that I’m not living up to God’s best plans for me.
why? Because when my mind and spirit are un-attentive to the Word of God, I find myself more inclined to listen to the lies of the enemy instead of silencing him with the Promises of God. I tend to worry more instead of casting my cares upon Him who cares for me. I tend to speak fear instead of faith. And that’s when I realize … I NEED TO GET BACK TO ATTENDING.
“Keep your heart (mind/will/emotion – inner man – spirit) with all diligence, for out of it are the issues (offspring, outcomes, aftermath, consequences) of life.”
I flipped my journal over a few more pages, and see meditations on Psalm 138:2 and Isaiah 55:11.
“You have exalted Your word over all Your name.” (NJK)
“You have made Your Word (even) greater than the whole of your reputation.” (CJB)
“You have exalted Your Name and Your Promise above everything else.” (CSB)
Psalm 138:2
“So shall My Word be that goes forth from My mouth; it shall not return to me void….”
Isaiah 55:11
I distinctly remember the day (February 2018) when the Lord knocked my off my feet with this revelation … allowing me to ‘hear’ for the first time the full weight of the power and authority assigned to His Word, and even when it is spoken out of my mouth instead of His (or more accurately, my mouth on His behalf)!
And so shall my (Jenny’s) word be when it is spoken in accordance with the will of God (revealed in the Word of God) and spoken in faith (that the Promises of God as revealed in the Word of God are true and faithful and will come to pass just like He said) …
… they will not return to me (my ears) without having accomplished the purpose for which they were sent (the purpose for which He said them in the first place).
Doesn’t that just blow the socks off your feet!!!!!
Your word! My words! When they agree with (mirror/mimick) His Words, and are joined up with hope (confident expectation that the Promises of God are true and trustworthy) … our words have POWER!!
Power to bring a wayward child back to the Lord!
Power to bring provision where there was only lack!
Power to reverse a doctor’s diagnosis!
Power to over-write and over-rule the unchangeable!!!
Friends, we all have (or will) at various times face giants that seem so overwhelming and threatening that they cause our throats to constrict to the point that we loose our voices. Let us not be silent. No! Instead, let us be so filled with the Promises of God that when we are “squeezed” by the enemy or by the circumstances of life in a broken world, we open our mouths and say what God says about the situation. When we speak His Words, He is faithful to honor His Word and power is released by faith to overcome!!
So keep on praying!
Keep on speaking words of faith in His Promises!
Keep on trusting and keep your heart in a state of peace! His Word will not return void!
That’s what I’m going to do. How about you?
PuttingHopeToWork 