WORDS

Proverbs 16:24

New King James Version (NKJV)

²⁴ Pleasant words are like a honeycomb,
Sweetness to the soul and health to the bones.

When I sit down at my computer, my fingers are usually ready to start tapping on the keys, to form the words to share the things dancing around in my mind.

I love having a fresh blank sheet in front of me, and I eagerly fill it up.

Typically, my goal is to write something that will encourage another person. Or to share something that will make a person smile in the midst of their struggle. Or just to include you in on my wild imagination and spin out a story.

Words are very powerful, and a great responsibility comes with writing a lot of things. Words sink right into our minds and deep into our hearts. Funny thing, though, words of encouragement, compliments, and love are easier to brush away than words that hurt, embarrass, or ridicule. Mean words can eat at a person’s insides for days.

Have you ever been there?

I know I have.

Recently! During a course of a conversation, my heart was being shot with sharp arrows over and over again. Wounded, I sulked, and obsessed over each word spoken, how it was spoken, why it would be spoken, etc. The wounds became festered boils.

I can just as easily write my thoughts in a not so pleasant way as a pleasant way. I did write something, my fingers were running all over the keyboard. It felt good to punch those letters to get all the hurt thoughts that beat around inside of me on to the screen.

When I finished, I didn’t press send. I used to press send after I vented, but I learned, it only makes things worse. So I waited, and went over and over that thing, I don’t know how many times. I was fixated on this issue. Each time I went over it I revisited what was said to me.

Finally, I pressed send. I didn’t expect a response.

I got one though, almost immediately.

An APOLOGY! With an explanation which made perfect sense. It was a big misunderstanding on a matter.

That apology healed those wounds better than any antibiotic or a topical medicine ever could.

It put a smile right back in my heart and I saw that person the way I did before the offense.

How powerful is that?

Proverbs 10:19

New King James Version (NKJV)

¹⁹ In the multitude of words sin is not lacking,
But he who restrains his lips is wise

One time I gave someone my work to edit. They made a very rude comment about my work, informing me that using short sentences is a sign of ignorance.

I put my writing down and mulled on that for a long time.

I started to extend my sentences with a semi-colon. Someone asked me why I did that? I explained what had been said to me.

With a smile, that person explained, writing short sentences is a sign of wisdom. If you can use a few words to get your point across, it’s wise.

Those words got me right back on the computer using periods, instead of semi-colons.

Words are easy to say, and so hard to take back. Words can come out wrong and sound nasty, when the intention was to say something nice.

I’ve been there a lot of times.  

I am usually a very talkative person. When I’m out in public, I actually think the person standing next to me wants to engage in conversation with me, even though they don’t know me. (It’s a family trait.)

I love to read words, hear words, sing words, and most of all…say and write words.

In that respect, Proverbs 10:19 stated above pertains to me. There are plenty of nights, I lay my head on my pillow and pray for God’s forgiveness for something I had said to someone that I shouldn’t have. Or I remember something I said that may have come out wrong and then I wonder if the person was hurt or offended. Or what really can keep me awake is when I didn’t finish saying something, because of some interruption, and the person could be thinking something that isn’t the whole truth.

Many, many, times I have those pillow talks with God.

Relationships, directions on life, work, decisions, are all done with words, even the unsaid words, or the words someone wishes were spoken to them.

I love you…you did well…your special…

They sink down into our hearts to hold onto and treasure and they direct our day.

There is one word that is more powerful than any word ever spoken…

John 1:1

New King James Version (NKJV)

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. ² He was in the beginning with God. ³ All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. ⁴ In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. ⁵ And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend^[a] it.

¹⁴ And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.

The Living Word, Jesus Christ. Who spoke and the world was. Who came and dwelt among us. Who died for our sins on the cross and rose again from the grave. Whoever believes on Him will be saved.

There is no more powerful Word to direct our days or to hold onto and treasure.