The Power of One Word

 "UN-SURVIVABLE"

One word. Sometime in the early evening before Hurricane Laura, I first heard the word "un-survivable", predicting a 20' storm surge in the Lake Charles area. Un-survivable? Growing up on the Mississippi Gulf Coast, I've lived through many hurricanes, but I never remember hearing a prediction of "un-survivable." The word was spoken too late to influence more evacuation but not too late to cause a surge of fear began to seep through social media as one after another shared the prediction - "UN-SURVIVABLE!" One journalist got his wish - his word spread and made the headlines in newspapers across the country.

 

I began thinking about the power of a single word. Whether the use of a word is accurate, wise or exaggerated - one word has power.  Whether spoken by a wise man or a fool - one word has power. A few years ago, I read a book about seeking God prayerfully for one word to focus on for a year, meditating on it and praying that God work it into your life. For a few years, I prayed and chose a word. Some words I chose were joy, light, love.  I studied scripture about the word, meditated on it and journaled what the Lord spoke to me. Most years I had forgotten about my word by summer, but many times it would come to mind throughout the year, reminding me how God worked in my life in fulfillment of the "one word."

 

Thankfully, Hurricane Laura hit in a way and place that a 20 foot storm surge did not occur, but the media was not done with their declarations. Because their "un-survivable" prophecy was wrong, one person began the viral declaration that Lake Charles had "dodged a bullet” This one carried power too because many forgot about the area. I still see articles written by people of Lake Charles, pleading that people forget the headline "dodged a bullet" and see they still need help! One word has power!

 

When the Israelites finally reached the Jordan River across from the land God promised Abraham, 12 spies were sent across. Ten of them returned with a bad report. As they began to describe what they saw, one word stood out and then echoed through the camp - GIANTS!  Once they heard that word, all else said was muffled. They hardly heard Joshua and Caleb insist "it is a good land!" The shouts of "GIANTS!" in their minds drowned them out. One word has power!

 

As in the prediction of an "un-survivable" storm surge, the word "giants" wasn't the whole story, certainly not the accurate story. Yes, the grapes in the land were huge, proving all God had said about a fertile, lush land of abundance, flowing with milk and honey! But someone concluded that huge grapes meant giants to eat them.  As in the whispering game called "gossip" we played as kids, the message was whispered and spread through the camp. It gained power. One word kept the Israelites from entering the Promised Land! One word has power!

 

How many times do we hear a bad report and make it our constant meditation? We study it, pass it on, make a prediction or a declaration. I know that during this strange season, I've succumbed to focusing on the words. You know "the words" -- pandemic, Covid, death, riots, hurricanes and so many more….. They echoed through my mind trying to control my thoughts and create stress and fear. It was necessary to use them to inform my choices, but did I allow them to magnified and twisted?

 

What about the words I repeat? What is their source? It's been a tricky year - hard to know what's true and what's a lie. As we seek discernment, let's allow God to filter not only our meditations, but the words we speak.

"Death and life are in the power of the tongue. And those who love it will eat its fruit." Proverbs 18:21

 

I've seen a lot of memes using words and pictures with the caption "if 2020 was a ____, picturing some unpleasant, pessimistic illustration. Some said "If 2020 was a word _____” I can't really remember the words that followed. I admit some were funny, but most were downright scary. I scrolled quickly through! I could not bear to think of a whole year defined that way! If 2020 is a word, who gets to choose? The media, social media, friends, enemies, political agendas? Satan has certainly tried!

 

It's not January 1, but let's allow God to choose a new word for the remainder of 2020. Let it not be "pandemic" or "catastrophic".  Nothing to do with political chaos or division. What if the word chosen was "peace"? Or "faith"?  "blessed"?  Personally, "kingdom" has been my meditation, as in "thy kingdom come."

 

Let God alone define 2020! Let God define how I view 2020! It's His year! He brings the seasons and the harvest of each year! Psalms 65:11 says, "You have crowned the year with your bounty, and your paths drip fatness." Another translation says, "even the hard pathways overflow with abundance."

 

2020 has certainly brought hard pathways. Some of us have had to be dragged along kicking and screaming, but there is beauty and bounty along the path. He is walking with us. He whispers His words in our ear, and not one of them is "UN-SURVIVABLE".

 

 "Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O LORD, my strength and my redeemer." Psalm 19:14