Words

Christine Wyrtzen post:  THE PREMIUM OF WORDS

You have stumbled because of your iniquity.  Take words with you and return to the Lord.  Hosea 14:1,2a

            Each of us probably has a different view and a varying appetite for talkativeness.  Having grown up in a house where words were few, I value well chosen words.  When someone speaks them well and they are seasoned with love and grace, they fall on me like refreshing rains.  I’m not being poetic, I’m being completely transparent.  However, if you grew up in the company of incessant talkers, you probably are so used to the sound of chatter that you take it for granted and/or are repelled by it.  Perhaps you crave the quiet and wish words were less.

            God is clear in today’s scripture about the importance of words in the process of repentance.  Imagine if you had a prodigal son who spurned your love and went off on a long journey.  You mourned for him, prayed for him, and waited for his return.  One day, you wake up to see him sleeping in his old room.  He gets up in the morning and says little.  It’s obvious that he’s come home to stay and because he engages in familiar routines but with no explanation.  It wouldn’t be long until you’d erupt and say, “Look, we have to talk about this.  Where have you been?  What have you been doing?  What made you come home? What are you feeling? Are you okay?” 

    In that light, God’s message is easy to understand and take to heart.  We can never stray from God and go back without a language of repentance and self-disclosure.  “Lord, I went away because ___________.  I’ve been off doing _______________.  My heart feels ______________.  Please forgive me for ____________.”

            The only way to make a solid return is with words.  It’s not because He needs them either.  It’s because by speaking them, we are changed.  The dam breaks and acknowledgment of our actions and feelings brings what was hidden into the Light.

            Words are a gift we give to God that only come back to benefit us in the long run.  When we speak words of repentance, we are bathed in forgiveness.  When we speak words of praise, we are delivered from the chains of darkness.  When we speak words that reveal our own story, we gain self-awareness.  When we speak words of faith, we surmount the barriers of unbelief.  Let’s take our words and live in the presence of the Lord today.

If I am wordless, I am poor.  Breathe on my tongue, Jesus.  Release my language.  Amen