Words have power when read, but they are more potent when spoken at the right times about the right things. In Genesis, the first chapter, it is recorded 10 times that “God said.” In seven of the times, God spoke the creation was spoken into existence.  Through God’s power contained in the spoken words, the world came to be. Not only the world as such but all that it contains, including the ultimate of his desire to create, human kind. And he has given some of that power in a small measure to humans. Though humans don’t have the power to speak things into existence, they are able to change their own lives, the lives of others, and world events through the power of the spoken word. People want change and cry out for hope. Through faith, obey the gospel and begin the journey of a changed life, and have the assurance that the hope one yearns to have is real in the person of Christ. (Hebrews 11:1) Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

In Hebrews 1:3: Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;  The verse tells us that Jesus had power in his word. When Jesus spoke, things happened.  When he walked the earth, the scriptures reveal to us the things he did simply by speaking. He raised Lazarus from the dead by saying in John 11:43: And when he thus had spoken, he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth. And in verse 44, the results are seen: And he that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot with graveclothes: and his face was bound about with a napkin. Jesus saith unto them, Loose him, and let him go. The power of Jesus speaking those words released Lazarus from the power of death. 

That lesson about Lazarus shows the power of Jesus to save mankind from certain death. There are those who don’t believe it and in the day that it happened, there were disbelievers too. But there were those that did believe found in John 11:45: Then many of the Jews which came to Mary, and had seen the things which Jesus did, believed on him.  Here is good example of belief coming when words were backed by action. Jesus showed that his words had power and that power and action led to belief.

Jesus performed miracles to show that he was who God said he was, as found in Matthew 3:16-17, And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him: 17 And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Then in Matthew 17:5:  While he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him.  The words hear ye him means that there is power in Jesus and that his words have God’s power when he speaks.

© 10-16-2002 DEC

Revised 06-21-2008

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