Read today’s texts first: Genesis 27 & 28; Psalms 4; Luke 11
- If you put no thought into your words neither will your listeners.
- “death and life are in the power of the tongue (Proverbs 18:21)"
There are so many surprising events in today’s Genesis accounts that I found it hard to focus on one theme. How is it that Isaac couldn’t recognize the difference between the voices of his twins? They were obviously not identical as the hair/no hair scenario tell us. And yes, Isaac was almost blind, but he wasn’t deaf. Someone did not spend enough time with his kids, and it’s not like he had a lot of them. But what is more surprising is the power of his blessing. If in fact he hadn’t had as much interaction with his children when they were growing up, how could one speech make such a significant difference? For Jacob, it changed the rest of his life.
In the Luke account we again see the power of anointed words: in the teachings of Jesus, the effectiveness of persistent prayer, and the results of Jonah’s preaching in Nineveh. Sometimes we waste our words because we fail to appreciate their potency. Proverbs 18:21 says that “death and life are in the power of the tongue.” It should make us realize how important it is to look for God-appointed and God-anointed times to speak directive words in situations when we’re given authority.
“Lord, will You please help me to see those moments before they pass. My hindsight is usually so much better than my foresight, and I often think about what I should have said long after it’s too late. This year I would like to watch my mouth and offer timely, life-giving words.”
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