One Word

"The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit."

Proverbs 18:21

One word this past week had a power to revive me. And one word this past week had a power to prostrate me. "The tongue has the power of life and death," and it only takes one word.

James warns us (in James 3) that the whole body can be corrupted by the tongue, and in Jeremiah 9:8, the tongue is referred to as a deadly arrow. With one word we can sin, and with one word we can cause more sin. One word. That's all it takes to destroy. One word. That's also all it takes to build.

"A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of." Luke 6:45

What's in your heart? I know mine lately has been burdened with hurt, betrayal, frustrations, discontent, confusion, and insecurity. The good in my heart has been hidden under this heavy pile. How can I possibly speak words of encouragement, of goodness, and of love? I can't.

What I can do is hand my heart over to God and ask to receive Him. I can ask Him to cleanse my heart of all impurities and fill me with His love so that I can speak words of love. That's all any of us have to do to receive a heart full of His power and to speak of good things. One word to the King of Kings: Here. One word: Help. One word: Forgive. One word: Thanks. 

There is power in one word, and there is absolute power in His Word. Let us, then, empty our hearts onto Him and let Him fill us with His life-giving Word.