Words Heal. Words Kill. A Glimpse of God's Heart.

Words are very powerful. They can wound. They can heal. They cut to the very core of our being and can either help complete us or bring a deepening to the wounds in our heart. Words are an outward manifestation that affects us inwardly. That's why people in authority have a huge responsibility. They can help mold someone into something beautiful just by the words they speak over them. They can tear someone down and affect someones self-esteem easily. People carry wounds from hearing words that bruised their hearts during childhood. Words may be the most powerful thing on earth. Our hearts are affected by words because there is power behind them. Someone who speaks with a kind heart will spread kindness and love to others and bring beauty. Others will speak from a heart of bitterness or anger, or just hurt. Words reflect the state of our own hearts and affect others.

This is why it is so powerful when we really encounter the real heart of God. Our hearts are changed. I'm not talking about a normal religious church service. I'm talking about a real heart to heart encounter with Jesus. It is impossible that a heart can stay the same - His heart is so full of love for us that when we get even a small glimpse of what He is like, we change. What do we change into? We become like Him. We become lovers of God...and in the end, we learn to love others. When we encounter the presence of Jesus, we become carriers of His love to others in need. This is what He desires - to pour His powerful love into our lives that others can see it in us - almost like a fragrance that we carry. And in speaking of words...we talk about how words are a reflection of what is in someone's heart. It's an outward manifestation of a heart. In Proverbs it says, "out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks." So there is an overflow that comes from our hearts and out of our mouths. It either kills or heals. There is an overflow that comes from the heart of God also. It is an everflowing, neverceasing flow of heaven's love and healing that He wants to make known to you and I. Can you imagine being around someone who constantly says positive things about you, encourages you, and tells you good things about you all the time? That is what God is like. So what is the heart of God like, and what does He say about us? To know what He says, we must understand His heart.

In Psalms 45, it speaks of Jesus and says, "...your lips have been anointed with grace." There is power in anointing, so His lips, or words are a powerful flow of grace. Now the word "grace" may sound very religious to some of us, but have you ever been around someone who is gracious? There is a kindness, a gentleness, a mercy that they carry. They are easy to be around and there is a sense of safety, a feeling that you can be yourself. How much more does Jesus carry these things towards us? His words are gracious because He has a heart of mercy. His heart is loving and gentle, therefore He speaks with grace and tenderness towards us. I remember being a child and being so afraid when I did something wrong and my dad found out. I knew I was in for it...I knew a spanking was coming. I remember a few times when He walked up to me and siad He knew what I did, and then started joking around with me and laughing about it. Instead of a spanking I got a big hug. What relief my little heart had! This is the heart of our Father. I'm not saying that He does not discipline us when it is necessary, but He is not an angry God. He is a gentle shephard who loves and cares for us in our weakness. He is nicer than we think, more merciful than we are aware of, and His heart is overflowing with love and grace towards us. We have no idea how much we are loved. You might be thinking (like i sometimes think), "Why can't I just feel it? Why can't it just be more real to me?" We won't always feel it...it won't always be easy. There is times where all we can do is trust and believe that what He says in His word is true. And He says He loves us. In Matthew it speaks of a man who was searching for pearls. When He found one, He sold everything He had to buy it. This is the heart of God towards you. God is pursuing hearts all over the world in this very moment. He is pursuing you and has been your entire life...you may realize, you may not realize it. But He is. There is nothing He did not give to have you -- you are so important to Him. There may be no one in your life that understands what you're going through or how you feel. He sees it all, and loves you easily. You are the pearl of great price, the one He is pursuing. Others may devalue you, look down on you, or speak negatively over you. Yet, you are the precious and pricely pearl Jesus gave everything for. I encourage you to open up your heart and listen to the voice that has more power than any other. Jesus, whose lips are anointed with grace, stands waiting to speak His healing words into your broken heart. He knows you, sees you, and loves you. He is more than willing to prove Himself to you if you open up and let Him. He wants to take that pearl that has been trampled down and molded by other peoples views and words and create it to be what it is supposed to be. You were meant to be the object of God's affection, His delight. You were meant to feel like a favorite. He has no favorites, but when He loves us, it makes us feel like we are His favorite because we are uniquely designed to fill the heart of God like no one else could that He has created. He chooses you and wants you just because of who you are. You are the hidden pearl, the one He longs to bring into His healing embrace and you don't disappoint Him. What do you need in life? He is a professional heart healer and counselor - He takes our baggage from our past and fills us with healing and love. What do you need healed from? Broken relationships, addiction, abuse, neglect...whatever it is, it is nothing compared to the incredible power there is in the heart of God. He can bring you close, so close that everthing else disappears and becomes nothing in the light of His face and countenance.

There have been times that I just needed to hear Him say that I'm ok...that small whisper into my heart that says He is still with me and will never leave me. He doesn't change - He is the same through life's changes. Just to feel the peace of His presence sustains my heart. He will never leave us. He is the great lover of all lovers and He loves with such purity and passion that everything else melts that comes in contact with Him. He takes our fear, rejection, and insecurities and speaks truth over us. He knows our hearts and knows how to heal them. He delights in broken people. He delights in the forgotten, the forsaken, the one who has been cast out and betrayed. Oh how he loves you more than any other could ever love you. What hope there is in Him!

A Heavenly Perspective

I've been thinking lately about how Jesus lived on the earth and what He was thinking...how He handled situations knowing the big picture of everything. He comprehended fully that God existed before everything He was seeing with His eyes. He comprehended fully the future and what would take place in the coming days, years, decades, etc to come. He knew it all. He understood completely that He was dealing with the frailty of human hearts and they would eventually kill Him. He knew He would be betrayed, hated, and that He would experience the fullness of injustice. So how did He conquer it all? What did He set His mind upon? His reward had to have been the love that He had experienced between Him and His Father. His priority was not people, although this was the main reason He came to earth. At times He told them to leave Him alone so He could be alone with the Father. He would go to alone places -- moutain tops, etc just to be alone with Him. He set His heart on what the Father wanted Him to do. This affected His relationships (those who He got close to), the places He went, and the things He said. He was completely led by the Father because His heart was not set on gaining a place of leadership or fame on the earth. It is difficult to live this way, but this is what we are called to. EVeryone of us is able to hear God's voice, be led by His Spirit, and walk in His ways. Training our hearts to be a tune to it is what takes time and effort. Quieting our hearts before God and not letting worry, stress, and other things crowd His voice is sometimes very hard. Just merely finding a quiet place is sometimes nearly impossible! Yet our hearts are made to experience and live in the presence of Jesus. He doesn't love us anymore or less when we spend a lot, or not very much, time with Him. But, letting the peace of God rule in our hearts on a daily basis will conquer negative thoughts, accusations from the enemy, depression, etc. The Word of God cuts through all of that and brings peace and truth to our hearts. Now, we are human. We will all have days, or season, where it does not feel peaceful. What an opportunity for us to trust Him that He still holds us in His hands in those seasons!