The Power of Words

The Power of Words

Jeremiah 1:9-10 Then the LORD put out his hand and touched my mouth, and the LORD said to me, "Now I have put my words in your mouth. See, today I appoint you over nations and over kingdoms, to pluck up and to pull down, to destroy and to overthrow, to build and to plant."

I’ve been reading a book called The Pen and the Bell. It’s about mindfulness and writing. I enjoy a few pages with my morning coffee, slowly taking in the co-author’s thoughts. Here’s part of what I read today. “Words are sustenance, as essential to our spirits as food to our bodies.”

God put words in Jeremiah’s mouth as sustenance, not just for him, but also for the people he prophesied to throughout his life. Sometimes we make the mistake of thinking sustenance is all about affirming the path we are already travelling. The words that are placed in Jeremiah, the words that he cannot keep himself from saying, they both disturb the status quo and show a way forward. They point out where the people have left Justice behind and severely damaged their relationships with God, creation, and each other. Jeremiah’s words challenge, and that is part of their sustaining power. They also remind the speaker and the hearers that they dwell in a world that God loves. Even in the midst of the pain of hearing that they have, as a whole community, chosen the wrong paths - paths that have not honored God - they have the promise of a new chapter of building and planting on the horizon.

Reflection Questions:

1) How do you respond to the idea that words provide sustenance for our spirits?

2) Are there words you turn to when you need to be filled up?

3) What words do you think God is speaking to us today?

Prayer:

Dear God, Thank you for your words, and the way they break into our spirits, get our attention and help us see new pathways.

In Jesus Name Amen