Proverbs 18:21,
” Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.’

• DAILY READING –  John 12:27-50; 2 Chronicles 16-17; Psalm 78:1-20

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Sometimes, we say things and think they don’t matter. But if we consider the power behind words, we might choose our words more carefully. You may think words don’t matter, but our words are seeds, that produce fruits.  

In history it is quite interesting how seemingly ordinary words have led to great consequences. Offensive words can result in the fall of empires, or the wiping away of complete nations. When sentiments find their way into official correspondence often the effects are fatal. 

In 1870, two of the greatest powers in Europe were the Kingdom of Prussia and The Empire of France. There was suspicion between these two countries. France felt threatened that the rise to power of Prussia might dislodge it from its leading place in European power politics. At this time, a vacancy occurred for the throne of Spain and the German prince Leopold of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen was invited to become king of that country. This alarmed the French as they felt that this could result in their being surrounded by governments that were sympathetic to the Prussian cause.

Though eventually Prince Leopold withdrew his candidature, the French were however not completely satisfied and they sought assurances from the Prussian government that no German candidate would be put forward in future. King William I of Prussia was a pleasant and courteous old gentleman. On the morning of 13th July 1870 he was taking a morning stroll in the spa town of Ems when he was approached by the French ambassador Count Benedetti. He presented the king with a demand from the French government that a German  prince would never again be presented as candidate for the throne of Spain. The king refused to give a categorical assurance of policy in the indefinite future, and the two men parted rather coolly. King William authorised his secretary to send a dispatch to the Prussian chancellor Bismarck with an account of the meeting. He also authorised the chancellor to publish the account.

Otto Von Bismarck who was the Chancellor of Prussia was a very wily politician more than capable of manipulating events. He was known as The Iron Chancellor. He made some alterations in the text of the telegraph that was insulting to France, before submitting it for publication.

The change in the wording of the dispatch had the desired effect, as expectedly France took offense. The result was that there were demonstrations in France demanding war, which Napoleon III rather foolishly declared. France was roundly defeated in the war. The German Empire was declared in The Chateau of Versailles. Alsace and Lorraine were annexed to Germany. The resultant resentment against Germany contributed greatly to the tensions that lead to the First World War.

It is amazing indeed how simple words altered in a telegraph could have far reaching consequences. That is the power of words. Words can be constructive or destructive. Words are not to be treated lightly or trivialized. Jesus said every idle word that men shall speak they will give account of it.

This is why we have to be careful, the kind of words that come out of our mouths. Let us speak words that heal, not those that hurt. 

Everything you have experienced in your life today is a direct result of what you’ve been saying.

Proverbs 18:21 says “Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.’ Nowhere is this more apparent than in relationships. We are either speaking blessing or cursing. There are no ordinary words. The words we speak can positively or negatively affect another. And it is better to say nothing than to speak words that are destructive to someone’s heart.  Always remember the power of words before you speak. Maybe you didn’t hear many kinds words when growing up, and now you are finding  difficult to give what you did not receive. But you can choose to release something better than what you were handed. You can sow seeds of life instead of perpetuate seeds of death. Fill your hearts with the word of God so that life can flow out of your mouth. Let words of faith and power flowing from you bring a harvest of life and blessing to others. Indeed we can make a difference in someone’s life today by speaking the right words. Indeed we can do all things through Christ.

PRAYER: Father please enable me to begin to speak right words today, please grant me the grace to speak words that heal rather than hurt. Please help me to fill my heart with Your Word so that out of the abundance of my heart, right words will flow out in Jesus Name. 
QUOTE : 

For you to enjoy victory in the Kingdom of God, you need to develop a Kingdom mindset, that thinks in line with the Word of God.  – WORDBITE 222. 

 [ADAPTED FROM THE BOOK TRIUMPH OF LIGHT OVER DARKNESS]