Words and Water

A Refreshing Glass

of Ice Water

What a difference our words can make, for good or for bad, and that led me to think about how water can be an analogy to words. Words can be, like water, either a blessing or a curse. When you are hot, tired and thirsty, a cool glass of water can truly be a blessing that cools and refreshes. It’s essential to life and it can be harnessed for work to provide power for operating grist mills and hydroelectric power plants.

Too much water, too fast, can be destructive and contaminated water, deadly. We are in the middle of this historically bad Atlantic hurricane season and have seen hurricanes named Harvey, Irma and Maria. They have brought death, sorrow, destruction, and despair to many people. The storm surge is often as dangerous as the wind and pressure canges.

Like water, our words can be harnessed for good or they can be a

destructive force. A friend recently told me how a meaningful friendship had been torn apart with words. That relationship looks to be permanently broken. I could hear the heartache in my friend’s voice as she shared her pain.

This week’s Bible study is titled, “Warning and Judgement.”* Scripture is a resource God provides to warn us of various spiritual dangers and avoid common pitfalls. Like a good parent, God tries to prepare us ahead of time for what we can expect in life.

A warning verse from James 1:26 (ESV) says,

“those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless.”

Later in James 3:10 (NIV) we’re warned,

“Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be.”

I expect that we have all said things we shouldn’t and been convicted to seek repentance and forgiveness.

Our words reveal our inner selves, even when we don’t mean for them to. Jesus speaks in Matthew 12:34b (NIV),

“For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.”

This is why we are encouraged to think about things that are true, noble, right, pure, lovely, and admirable, anything that is excellent or praiseworthy. When we choose to focus on growing closer to God and making his priorities our own, our attitudes and words will show it.

We have been talking about regular spoken words, regular language…but John1:1 (NIV) tells us, somewhat cryptically,

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”

Here, he’s talking about Jesus. Jesus as the Word, who was also God, and who spoke creation into existence. Now that’s a powerful word! We can begin to see that as we are being transformed by scripture and the Holy Spirit at work in us, we can tap into that power. When we invite others to Bible study, or share words of the Gospel message, or we uplift and encourage others, when we speak words of confession and repentance, when we ask God to help us deal with our anger and selfishness in ways that are pleasing to Him, then we are using our words in ways that are a blessing to us and that bring glory to God.

May it be so in each of our lives this week.

Camille Wheeler

Originally presented to Leadership Council

9/27/17

CBS - Rutherfordton Day Class

* Return to Jerusalem, Lesson 3

J O Y

As I look at the Almond Joy mini candy bar I handed out, I think of an acronym using the letters J…. O…. Y.  “Jesus, Our Yahweh.” Since Yahweh, a noun, is a form of the Hebrew name of God, the acronym means: “Jesus, our God.” As Christian believers, we claim this to be true.

In our family, we are eagerly anticipating the safe, healthy birth of two grandchildren in the next year. The anticipation reminds me of Jesus’ mother, Mary, and a bit of what she may have been feeling before the birth of her son.  No doubt she was excited, but also apprehensive and unsure about how God was using her in his holy plan.

I was reminded these last two weeks of how much work it is to care for a helpless little one.  In my case, it’s been our little dog who needed unexpected spinal surgery.  He’s needed many resources: our time, attention, medicines, personal care, love, and reassurance since the surgery.  For the first week, it included care in the middle of the night, similar to a baby. Fortunately, he’s gotten on his feet though he still has weeks ahead for further healing.

A baby is a wonderful, wonderful miracle, but also needs lots of support.  They can bring us much joy, but it’s not purely joy. It’s mixed with work and worry.

Mary and Baby Jesus

Joy is usually mixed with other emotions. It is rarely just joy.  Even the joy of Christmas is often mingled with other less welcome emotions. I’ve certainly had years marred by illness, stress related to school, jobs, family issues, finances, and various kinds of losses. All take a toll on our joy at Christmas and at other times throughout the year, and yet, I am encouraged by what the Bible says about joy:

Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth. Psalm 98:4 NIV

Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls. 1 Peter 1:8-9 NIV

Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. James 1: 2-3  ESV

In the midst of a very severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity. 2 Corinthians 8:2 NIV

And my favorite, especially during the Christmas season:

And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. Luke 2:10 KJV

These verses say to me, and I hope to you, that joy is not only possible when times are good and things are going our way, but even when we have seasons of sadness, of turmoil, of feeling like we are in the wilderness.  As believers, we have these verses to hold onto, to claim, to stand on as reminders. Reminders that we have a God who loves us and sends us joy in the form of his son, Jesus, who was born to bring us the way to salvation and forever-and-ever, eternal joy.

The Almond Joy candy bar on your seat is a reminder of God’s desire for us to experience the eternal joy he offers us.  My prayer for you is that you are reminded, during this season, of God’s constant love and that you feel much joy as a precious child of God.

Camille Wheeler, Core Leader

Originally presented to the CBS Leadership 12-14-16