Refreshing Words

"For My thoughts are not your thoughts,
nor are your ways My ways," says the Lord...
For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven,
And do not return there, but water the earth,
and make it bring forth and bud,
that it may give seed to the sower and bread to the eater,
so shall My Word be that goes forth from My mouth.
It shall not return to me void, but it shall accomplish what I please,
and it shall prosper in the thing for which I send it."

-Isaiah 55:9-11

Gods thoughts and ways are higher than ours. Just as the rain descends, and does not simply return to heaven without first watering the earth and bringing a harvest, so God's Word does not go out and return without also watering, bringing forth the bud and harvest He intends.

His Word is water.

"Therefore, encourage one another and build each other up."

- 1 Thessalonians 5:11

The past couple of weeks the girls and I have been focused on the practical application of this verse. We've talked about the encouraging words we like to hear, we've taken turns encouraging one another with our words and we've even spoken about what it feels like when words hurt.

"There is one who speaks like the piercings
of a sword, but the tongue of the wise
promotes healing."

- Proverbs 12:18

It is amazing how powerful our words can be. They can build a house, or tear it down (Proverbs 14:1). They can be like the stabbing of a sword (Ouch! No, that's okay, I've got another eye...) or they can bring literal healing to a sister, a brother, a husband or a child.

And we women- we've got a lot of them.

Today we asked the Lord to help us to use our tongues
to bring healing to others.

Wouldn't it be delightful to be known for healing words? Often the world exalts the sharp and quick reply. God says the "tongue of the wise promotes healing."

It turns out that God has much to say regarding the things we say and the way we say them.

This week our devotional book asked us to sing the chorus of a hymn- each using different notes in off-pitch disharmony- to demonstrate the painful sound of believers not living in unity with one another. I cannot say that we sound very good when we are trying to sing together, but this song- wow. It made its point.

I've got two words for you- wounded cats.

It was impacting to think of how our voices sound to God when we are all seeking to use our own song books- our own notes- rather than live in unity and obey God's Word.

Today, Faith's penmanship happened to be this verse by Amy Carmichael:

"If I can hurt another by speaking faithfully
without much preparation of spirit,
and without hurting myself far more than
I hurt that other,
then I know nothing of Calvary love."

Truth. We can speak "faithful" words often too easily, can't we? But to speak the truth in love, well Amy Carmichael really hit on it. It should cost us in preparation of spirit and it should wound us even more than the other person.

We are to love others as we love ourselves (Matthew 22:39). How often I fall short of that.



What a blessing to be in communion with a God of grace. We all need it.

"Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean:
wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow."

- Psalm 51:7

"For you will go out with joy and be led forth with peace;
The mountains and the hills will break forth
into shouts of joy before you,
And all the trees of the field will clap their hands."

-Isaiah 55:10-12

Mike and Dana

May we mimic our Father, by speaking words of refreshment.


Peace to you!


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Photos: A wonderful time away with dear friends. I would have a hard times coming up with enough positive adjectives to describe this family. Maybe it's enough to say that we love them- a lot. The photos of Faith in the snow and me with my camera (of course!)- by Dana. Thanks D!