“A picture is worth a thousand words.” Really? Says who?
Give me 1,000 words and I will give you:
The Preamble to both the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. Psalm 23. The Lord’s model prayer. The Physicians’ Hippocratic Oath. John 3:16. Lincoln’s Gettysburg address. And just enough left over to squeeze in the list of the 10 Commandments!
What picture is worth more than these 1,000 words?
The fact is that Words are powerful. Potent. Penetrating. Filled with potential for good or bad.
Today ThePreachersWord is beginning a new column called “Word of the Week.” We want to feature a Bible word each Monday for your thought and consideration. If Bill O’Reilly can have his obscure and unusual “Word of the Day” and John Maxwell can have his daily business/leadership word, why can’t we have our Bible word of the week?!
So, we begin with the word “Word”! Think about it!
God’s revelation to people is called “The Word.” It is alive. Powerful. And Sharper than a two-edged sword. It can pierce the soul. Discern the heart. Judge our thoughts. Convict the sinner (Heb 4:12). And save our souls (Jas 1:21)
Jesus is called the “Word.” (John 1:1) He is the embodiment of the Word. The incarnate Word. The Word made flesh to reveal Deity. Godhood. And Truth. When we listen to him, allow His word to germinate in our hearts, and follow Him, we are changed and transformed by the Word.
The Psalmist said that reading the Word of God can revive us, guide us and sustain us (119:154, 133, 116).
It should be no surprise that every word that I speak is important. My words do make a difference in the life of a fellow human being.
The wise man wrote, “A good word aptly spoke is like apples of gold in settings of silver” (Prov. 25:11) But he also added these two solemn warnings, “The tongue has the power of life and death…” (Prov. 18:21) “Reckless words pierce like a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing” (Prov. 12:18).
And of course the theme and purpose of ThePreachersWord is conveyed in Ecclesiastes 12:10 “The Preacher sought to find delightful words and to write words of truth correctly.”
One of my favorite and often read authors, “anonymous,” expressed it this way in The Power of Words
A careless word may kindle strife
A cruel word may wreck a life
A bitter word may hate instill
A brutal word may smite and kill
A gracious word may smooth the way
A joyous word may light the day
A timely word may lessen stress
A loving word may heal and bless
And so this week, think about God’s Word. Jesus the Word. And remember that each word you speak has the power and potential to plant a seed in the soil of a friend or stranger’s heart that will germinate and yield good fruit.
You can speak a loving word to your spouse. An encouraging word to your children. A hopeful word to a disheartened friend. A thankful word to someone who serves you. A soft word to an angry person. A kind word to a fellow Christian. A forgiving word to someone who has wronged you. A friendly word to a stranger. A cordial word to a co-worker. And a cheerful word to all that we chance to meet.
Solomon was right when he wrote, “A man finds joy in giving an apt reply — and how good is a timely word! (Prov 15:23)
–Ken Weliever, The Preacherman
Exercise: This week pay special attention to “The Word.” And the use of your words. How can you improve?
Request: If you have a suggestion for a Bible word, to be featured in next Monday’s blog, I would love to hear from you
ThePreachersWord 
On this subject James wrote “be slow to speak…” 1:19, then expanded on the reason why in Jas,3: Once spoken, words are almost impossible to recover. Tommy Thornhill
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Blessed (Approved of God)
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Ah, thanks Pat! I like it. Count on this word being used
Ken Weliever 400 NW Highcliffe Dr Lee’s Summit, MO 64081 Home Phone: 816-600-5001 Cell Phone: 813-507-1726 Church Office: 816-761-2659 preacherman@weliever.net web site: http://www.weliever.net/ blog: http://www.thepreachersword.com/ Church web site: http://hickmanchurch.com/
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So true, Tommy! Good comment
Ken Weliever 400 NW Highcliffe Dr Lee’s Summit, MO 64081 Home Phone: 816-600-5001 Cell Phone: 813-507-1726 Church Office: 816-761-2659 preacherman@weliever.net web site: http://www.weliever.net/ blog: http://www.thepreachersword.com/ Church web site: http://hickmanchurch.com/
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An interesting word that I’ve found is “liberal” (cf. liberality, liberally). It is used in a way foreign to it’s contextual environment. I’d like to see your article/study on the word. I have one on my blog if you’d care to read. Thanks for your great articles!
(www.rightlydividinggw.blogspot.com)
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How about “Amen”!
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This is a perfect song to go along with this message
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