I spoke .... and it came to pass

The tongue! The bible tells us clearly that it is capable of setting the whole body on fire. This is so true and you and I know it. So why then do we constantly allow ourselves get into trouble simply by the power of this tiny but powerful fellow tucked into our mouths by God Himself?

Perhaps I should rewind a bit and give source to my vent. We were invited to a wedding in some remote village in the east. I didn’t want to go, that much I knew for sure. But, I needed to play it out so my husband didn’t see my reluctance and become insistent about my attending. Suffice it to say therefore that I made all the right sounds about being there, even planning the travel arrangements with him, all the while praying fervently to God to make a way of escape for me. My silent prayer was that something would come up that would make it imperative for my husband himself to suggest that it would be better that he goes alone, or better yet none of us would go. It would have been nice if I left it at the prayer level, but noooo...... I had to speak! And... it came to pass! Sigh!!!

My people, you know that saying ‘Be careful what you ask for cos you just might get it’? Not a cliché at all I assure you. On a Thursday in the week prior to the wedding, I was at a conference where I caught up with a friend. She extended an invitation to me for the next Saturday, same day of the wedding. I had them promised her that if I was in town I would attend. She asked if I was going somewhere and I had moaned about this impending wedding which I so didn’t want to attend. I said some things to her which later came to haunt me and which have now informed this blog.

I fell ill on the Monday, had to be rushed out of the office mid-morning and ended up home alone and on bed-rest for the rest of the week. I will save you the gory details of my illness, save to say that I was totally down for that week. Being an action person, I was also bored silly in the middle of all this. But it was clear my body needed to rest so even I didn’t push it too much. Bottom line though was that I didn’t get to travel as planned. Indeed my hubby, bless the precious man, delayed his own trip to the last minute cos he didn’t want to leave me in my condition. Even though I was a lot better by Thursday, he recognised that I couldn’t come out of an exhaustion–induced rest and begin the long torturous travel to that village.

So, I did manage to make my friend’s event on Saturday. She asked how I was able to avoid the wedding cos she really wasn’t expecting me to show. I had then told her that I had been ill all week and her event was basically my first outing from my home in an entire week. She’d hugged me and said she’d had no idea at all, what happened? How was I? Etc. As I reassured her that I was back in business she said something to the effect that we needed to be careful how we cursed ourselves with our own mouths. I looked at her in confusion and then she asked me ‘Dont you remember?’

Remember what I asked? She reminded me that at the conference when I mentioned that I was looking for a way out of going for the wedding, I had said that perhaps I would start ‘feeling a bit under the weather somewhere around Thursday’. We had both laughed and high-fived each other; two women who understood the game was to play off the man so as to achieve one’s personal agenda.

My mouth (the same mouth o, yes) simply dropped open in amazement. My people, I had absolutely forgotten. As she laughed and walked away I thought, OMG! I really did speak a ‘word’ and it came to pass. I was the author of my own illness.

 I had forgotten that I am a vessel of power and that the Lord has said that I should decree a thing and it would come to pass. His Word makes clear that the power of life and death are in the tongue and that I could either choose to speak blessings or curses over my life. I was more focused on ‘one-up’-ing my husband that I totally overlooked whether the intents of my heart at that point were in alignment with the Word of God.

I have since repented over this and trust that God has forgiven me. Beyond this I have asked for the grace to overcome in every such situation that will come my way henceforth, for surely the temptations shall come. I have asked God to help me to hold myself accountable to His Word, even for the smallest things in life.

So as I pray for the Spirit to assist me in bridling my tongue......No, scratch that! I am praying for the Holy Spirit to help me to first take even more charge over the thoughts and meditations of my heart (for it is out of the abundance of the heart that the mouth speaks). As He helps me to do this, my further prayer is that He will help me bridle my tongue even more, and continually so, so that it will not lead me into the wrong things.

One thing I think we can all take away from this, for surely each of us has had a similar experience at one time or the other; is that we need to examine the circumstances surrounding us at this time and ask the questions ‘How much of all this have I spoken over myself?’ and ‘How many of my challenges are as a result of things others have spoken over me’?

It is by the power of the same tongue that we are able to cancel every negativity in our lives and decree and declare those things that we want to see in our lives. We have the power within us and heaven is waiting to act on those things that we call forth...... for though they be not now, they shall BE indeed by the power of our own tongues, and backed by the immutable Word of God.

Today I commit not to inadvertently confer any illness or challenge upon myself. I choose to stand and face every situation and just trust God to hear my hearts cry and work it out for me Himself in His own way... because He is able!

Today I choose to reaffirm that my tongue is a vessel of honor unto the Lord. And every good word I speak with it, the Lord shall cause it to come to pass. And so shall it be for you also, IJMN, Amen.

Ttyl