“Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me,” little children sometimes say in response to abusive taunts from their peers. Actually, that school yard saying is a bold-faced lie. Words are very powerful! They can change the life of an individual, a community or a nation.For example, a young man “bowled” his motorcycle helmet to his desk at the back of his high school English class. The teacher walked into the class behind him. With a grimace she slammed the door behind her. Immediately, she threw massive assignments on the blackboard. When she turned around to face the class she wore a plastered smile. Then she gave a speech about the supreme importance of her class as she strolled casually down the row of students until she stopped behind the young man with the helmet.
“Some of you will leave this class to make something of yourselves. You will go on to college, make great careers for yourselves, and maybe even become famous,” she promised. “But, some of you will NEVER amount to anything,” she gloated. When she patted the young man on his shoulder the class laughed hysterically but the young man sat quietly in his seat...
Words have the power to make or break a person. That young man began to live down to her words. He began getting in trouble and frequent fights at school. “After all,” he thought. “Why study? I'll never amount to anything anyway.”
Fortunately, there is one who has encouraging words of truth, wisdom and power. His name is Jesus Christ. Jesus said of his words, “The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life” (John 6:63). At that time Jesus had said some hard statements about himself as the bread of life. He said to them in a figurative way that they must eat his flesh and drink his blood. “From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him. 'You do not want to leave too, do you?' Jesus asked the Twelve. Simon Peter answered him, 'Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We believe and know that you are the Holy One of God'” (John 6:66-69).
Jesus gives us good news in the power of God. His words can transform us from sinner to saint, lost to saved, and death to life.
Paul boldly proclaimed, “I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the POWER OF GOD for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: 'The righteous will live by faith'” (Romans 1:16-17). Let the power of God transform you!
Activity for Today: Good News
by Jim Morris
