Wednesday, May 14, 2014

The Creative Power of Words by David Kitz

Psalm 33
(Verses 6-9)
By the word of the LORD the heavens were made,
    their starry host by the breath of his mouth.
He gathers the waters of the sea into jars;
    he puts the deep into storehouses.
Let all the earth fear the L
ORD;
    let all the people of the world revere him.
For he spoke, and it came to be;
    he commanded, and it stood firm.
(NIV)


Have you ever considered the creative power of words? Words change the world. They bring order out of chaos. Words shine the light of day into the darkness of this world. From the very beginning words have been imbued with divine power. The psalmist reminds us, "By the word of the LORD the heavens were made, their starry host by the breath of his mouth."

But it's not only God's words that have this vast power. Our words—human words, whether spoken or written have enormous power too. Adam's first job assignment was to speak words—to name the animals. Now the Lord God had formed out of the ground all the wild animals and all the birds in the sky. He brought them to the man to see what he would name them; and whatever the man called each living creature, that was its name. So the man gave names to all the livestock, the birds in the sky and all the wild animals (Genesis 2: 19-20).

Strangely, God did not do what every parent does. He did not tell Adam what the animals were called. Adam told God their names. By so doing, God vested mankind with the power of language. Life is what we call it.

Our words describe the world and give meaning to it. Through our words we bring order and make sense of the world around us. As a writer, I am continually processing and attempting to make sense of this chaotic thing called life. I do it with words. That's what we are called to do.

With our words we shine the light of truth onto a situation. With words we write laws, administer justice and design our government. Our words create imaginary realms into which we can travel—words that transport. With our words we have the power to elevate the human spirit, or crush someone to the point of suicide. 
Finally, there is something innately prophetic about our words. What we speak and write is potent. It has within in it the latent ability to become reality. Therefore, we need to guard our lips and weave our words with love and care. See James 3:1-12. The psalmist reminds us not only of the power of the word of the LORD, but also our own words. For he spoke, and it came to be; he commanded, and it stood firm.
 

6 comments:

Peter Black said...

Thank you David. Yes, that words have latent power is true, and while exciting it's also sobering. I love the verse about our Lord Jesus -- the Living, Eternal Word: "And the word became flesh, and dwelt among us . . ." (John 1:14). Hmm , the thought that God's word finds incarnational expression through us, well . . . :)
Thanks for the inspiration. ~~+~~

Deborah Dee Harper said...

Wonderful and thought-provoking post, David. Thanks for sharing.

Blessings,
Deb

Glynis said...

Words surely do have power. With that power comes big responsibility, though. Thanks, David, for reminding us about our God-given gift of words!

Ruth Smith Meyer said...

You've said it well, David! It's just the same kind of thing that's been going around in my mind, but you said it better. Thanks!

David Kitz said...

Thanks, everyone for your positive feedback. Your words have lifted my spirit!

Tracy Krauss said...

Very true - and timely as we move toward 'Write! Canada'. May our words have lasting impact even as THE Word has power to transform

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