During the Toast to the Bride at a wedding this past weekend, a gentleman stood up and said, “When I was young, Rhonda looked after me. When I was a teenager, Rhonda looked after me. Even today, Rhonda continues to look after me. Here’s to Rhonda!” Those simple words, delivered with heartfelt emotion, were the most memorable words of the night. They perfectly captured the spirit of the bride because everyone in that room had experienced her caring nature.
We are inundated with so many meaningless words from social media and other sources that is easy to forget that words can have a huge impact. I have a file folder that is stuffed full of notes, cards, and letters of encouragement. I never look at them, but I have kept some of those pieces of paper for decades. The words mattered so much to me that I could not throw them away.
Having received kind words has made me a committed card giver. I know that giving birthday and anniversary cards is sort of old-fashioned, but I believe there is value in recording your thoughts about those you love. Sadly, my handwriting is so bad that it might be easier to translate Egyptian hieroglyphics than read the words I wrote, but most people usually figure out what I am trying to say.
This power of words is also what makes prayer is important. God does not need us to inform him of our needs. He already knows our circumstances better than we do. However, prayer forces us to express our feelings in words. Searching for the right expression and forming our thoughts ends up being a powerful tool in understanding ourselves and our relationship with God.
Words are so powerful, that God sometimes gave his people specific words to say so that we would remember his attitude toward us. The best example is the priestly blessing in Numbers chapter six which says, “The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace” (verses 24-26). We have a God who wants to bless, be gracious and bring us peace.
Those words are both powerful and worth remembering.
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