DIG for Thursday the 10th of December…..as my Mum used to say, if you cannot say anything good don’t say anything at all…..Luke 1 v 20

Before we read about Mary we have an example of how not to react to the plans and purposes of God.

Yesterday in DIG we say that Mary believed God and spoke it out (Luke 1 v 38).

Zacharias was the husband of Elisabeth and father to be of John the Baptist.

He did not believe God however when He spoke to him through Gabriel, telling him they would have a child.

On the surface he said something quite similar to Mary.

He asked how this would happen and spoke about his circumstances, quite similar to what Mary said.

His attitude however must have been different and he must have asked it in a negative and disbelieving way.

Indeed Gabriel says Zacharias was living in unbelief about what he had been told (Luke 1 v 20).

As a result Zacharias was struck dumb and could not speak and he did not speak again until after the birth of John.

This highlights how powerful our words are, both positive (in the case of Mary) and negative (in the case of Zacharias).

Disbelieving and negative words can stop things happening, they can stop the plans and purposes of God for your life.

This is what we see with Zacharias; he could not be allowed to speak in case his negative words put a block on the birth of John.

Be positive and speak out positive words; make a real effort to stop speaking any negative words and see if this has in impact on your life.

I promise you it will!

Speak this out today…..”Thank you Lord that death and life are in the power of the tongue”.

Luke 1 v 20…..And, behold, thou shalt be dumb, and not able to speak, until the day that these things shall be performed, because thou believest not my words, which shall be fulfilled in their season

Advertisement

DIG for Sunday the 28th of September…..your words have power; both negative and positive…..Luke 1 v 38

In Luke 1 we see a wonderful pair of examples about the power that our words can have in both a negative and positive way.

We have the power of death and life in the words that we speak over our lives and the lives of others (Proverbs 18 v 21).

In Luke 1 we see God revealing to Zacharias and Mary how His will would unfold through the birth of both John and Jesus respectively.

Zacharias asked a question about how he could become a father at his age (Luke 1 v 18) and Mary asked a question about how she could become a mother not having “known a man” (Luke 1 v 34).

Zacharias did not believe the answer that he was given and therefore he was struck dumb until John was born, indeed until he was circumcised on the eighth day after his birth (Luke 1 v 20).

Mary did believe what she was told and spoke out this truth straightaway (Luke 1 v 38).

Mary spoke positive words over her life and did fulfil the will of the Lord in her life.

Zacharias was not allowed to speak so that he could not influence things in a negative way by speaking out against the birth of John.

What a powerful picture of how important our words are!

This tells us that our words are so powerful that we can limit the will of the Lord simply by talking negatively.

Speak this out today…..”Thank you Lord for your Word that tells me about the importance of what I say; Lord help me to be more positive in the words that I speak”.

Luke 1 v 38…..And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel of the Lord departed from her