Ok, so as an aspiring linguist, I suppose it comes as no surprise that I would write about the power of words... especially those of us who have a sociolinguistic bent. But today's scriptures certainly spoke that to me. What we say is not only a reflection of who we are and what we feel and think.
Speak Rejoicing & Rejoice
1 How long, O LORD ? Will you forget me forever?
How long will you hide your face from me?
2 How long must I wrestle with my thoughts
and every day have sorrow in my heart?
How long will my enemy triumph over me?
3 Look on me and answer, O LORD my God.
Give light to my eyes, or I will sleep in death;
4 my enemy will say, "I have overcome him,"
and my foes will rejoice when I fall.
5 But I trust in your unfailing love;
my heart rejoices in your salvation.
6 I will sing to the LORD,
for he has been good to me. (Psalm 13:1-6)
David's psalm speaks to the power of speech. Although he is downhearted and suffering, he speaks his trust in the Lord, he speaks of rejoicing and singing. If we reaffirm our trust in the Lord, if we sing to the Lord every day, we will remember that He has been good to us... and we know that it will all be better soon. Today I look around my 'house of dreams,' the loveliest home I could've imagined, and I say, "He has been SO good to me." My wonderful husband, my little pup, my comfortable and beautiful home!
Just yesterday, I was reminded of the power of laughter. After a week of high stress and little sleep, Brad and I were exhausted. But our new neighbors Jessica and Derek came over to say hi to us and our new puppy... and they brought their little boy along. Jaxon couldn't stop giggling at the puppy. And his adorable giggle made me giggle. Despite my exhausted state, that giggle made me so happy! So, let's giggle, let's sing, let's say what we want to be.
Speak Beliefs & Believe
28When they heard this, they were furious and began shouting: "Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!" 29Soon the whole city was in an uproar. The people seized Gaius and Aristarchus, Paul's traveling companions from Macedonia, and rushed as one man into the theater. 30Paul wanted to appear before the crowd, but the disciples would not let him. 31Even some of the officials of the province, friends of Paul, sent him a message begging him not to venture into the theater.
32The assembly was in confusion: Some were shouting one thing, some another. Most of the people did not even know why they were there. 33The Jews pushed Alexander to the front, and some of the crowd shouted instructions to him. He motioned for silence in order to make a defense before the people. 34But when they realized he was a Jew, they all shouted in unison for about two hours: "Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!" (Acts 19:28-34)
Now here is an example of why we must be careful with what we say. The people recognized the power of words, so the assembly kept shouting. Shouting for two hours "Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!" shows that they acknowledged that there was power in actually speaking the words. I know I've written this before, but I think it's helpful to remember that in the ancient Jewish tradition, the scrolls were read aloud before an audience... not individually. (Brad & I are actually considering leading a study on the 5 scrolls and their traditional readings this year.)
So for us, this shows that we must take care of what we say, especially when we are frustrated or downhearted or feeling hopeless. John Mayor sings a song called, "My Stupid Mouth" that resonates with me far too often. I often say things I don't mean, things I shouldn't. But all I can do is pray that God will remind me, as He did today in my scripture reading that we should sing and rejoice and speak of our commitment to Him.
Sometimes what we say helps to create the reality of who we are, what we feel and how we think. And so, I recommend that we start singing. Rejoice, and you will feel joyful!
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