During my 8 year battle through darkness, I tried to read and understand the Bible, God started making the words in the Bible come to life for me. During my quit time one morning I had a memorable light bulb moment!
I was reading John Chapter 1 and it sounded so familiar. It sounded like the 1st Chapter in Genesis.
In Genesis Chapter 1, God used words to create good.
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness.
Genesis Chapter 1:1-4 NIV
So the bible says before there was the sun or moon, or the 1st day there was light and it was good.
Now, doesn’t John Chapter 1 look familiar?
In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God,
John 1:1-5 NLT
and the Word was God. He existed in the beginning with God.
God created everything through him, and nothing was created except through him. The Word gave life to everything that was created, and his life brought light to everyone. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it.
Let me get this straight. God spoke “let there be light” and there was light and it was good. So God used words to speak light into this world.
John says that the word already existed, the word was with God, the Word was God. He existed in the beginning with God, God created everything through Him! The word gave life to everything that was created, and His life brought light to everyone. Who can never destroy it? Darkness can never extinguish it!
So who is the light? Jesus!
John goes on and says:
God sent a man, John the Baptist, to tell about the light so that everyone might believe because of his testimony. John himself was not the light; he was simply a witness to tell about the light. The one who is the true light, who gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. He came into the very world he created, but the world didn’t recognize him. He came to his own people, and even they rejected him. But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God. They are reborn—not with a physical birth resulting from human passion or plan, but a birth that comes from God. So the Word became human and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen his glory, the glory of the Father’s one and only Son.
John 1:6-14 NLT
So, God used words to create. God created everything through Him, Jesus, the word, the light. We, everyone, were created in There image by using WORDS.
So would you agree with me that words are very powerful!
Satan used words to deceive.
In Genesis, chapter 2
The Lord God placed the man in the Garden of Eden to tend and watch over it. But the Lord God warned him, “You may freely eat the fruit of every tree in the garden— except the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. If you eat its fruit, you are sure to die.”
Genesis 2:15-17 NLT
Remember God’s words “If you eat its fruit.” Just 1 chapter later words are added and changed to minuplate and deceive.
In Genesis chapter 3
The serpent was the shrewdest of all the wild animals the Lord God had made. One day he asked the woman, “Did God really say you must not eat the fruit from any of the trees in the garden?”
“Of course we may eat fruit from the trees in the garden,” the woman replied. “It’s only the fruit from the tree in the middle of the garden that we are not allowed to eat. God said, ‘You must not eat it or even touch it; if you do, you will die.”
“You won’t die!” the serpent replied to the woman. “God knows that your eyes will be opened as soon as you eat it, and you will be like God, knowing both good and evil.”
The woman was convinced. She saw that the tree was beautiful and its fruit looked delicious, and she wanted the wisdom it would give her. So she took some of the fruit and ate it. Then she gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it, too. At that moment their eyes were opened, and they suddenly felt shame at their nakedness. So they sewed fig leaves together to cover themselves.
Genesis 3:1-7 NLT
Did you notice Eve added words to what God said? Eve said that God said “You must not eat or even touch it”.
We do not need to add to God’s words. They are already good. But we have added to God’s words and we have taken away from God’s words to make a point or to benefit our situation.
Did you catch how the serpent twisted words to make Eve question God’s instructions?
The next verse goes on to say:
When the cool evening breezes were blowing, the man and his wife heard the Lord God walking about in the garden. So they hid from the Lord God among the trees. Then the Lord God called to the man, “Where are you?”
He replied, “I heard you walking in the garden, so I hid. I was afraid because I was naked.”
“Who told you that you were naked?” the Lord God asked. “Have you eaten from the tree whose fruit I commanded you not to eat?”
Genesis 3:8-11 NLT
The voices of lies start speaking to man, “Who told you that you were naked?”
Do you hear voices in your head? Lies? Words that have been manipulated to confuse you? To Tear you down? I have heard those words. I have struggled with those words, I have been tormented by those words.
I am a mistake, unwanted. Fat, ugly. Not good enough. Stupid. Crazy. Not perfect. Those are the words that have tormented me since I was a child.
Be careful with the words that you speak towards others, especially your loved ones. Do not ever say “they will not make anything with their life” or “they are a problem child” or “they are bad, evil”. Our words are powerful we have to use our words to speak life, love, light.
The following is a link to a talk I did recently. It is raw and recorded off an IPhone, but it shares my emotions and how words have affected my life.