Life-giving Voice - Devotion for 1/28/09

Life-giving Voice – Devotion for 1/28/09

Have you ever noticed the way the words you say can take on a life of their own? You may have said something to a friend about someone or something, and before long, what you said has been twisted and turned in such a way that you know that you didn’t say that. A few years ago someone stole Mary and baby Jesus out of the church nativity scene, and it began to get a bit of news coverage. I didn’t mind the TV coverage so much, because most of the time instead of someone quoting me they simply showed me saying it. However, I have learned you have got to be extremely careful when talking to a newspaper reporter, because those words become so easily twisted and turned into something you never actually said. It reminds me of a game I used to play with my youth groups, a game called Rumors. As the group is sitting in a circle, one person turns to the person on their right and they whisper something – anything – to that person, who subsequently turns and is supposed to whisper the same thing to the next person, and so on. Inevitably, someone will change the message, and by the time it gets back to the person who originated the message, the message has taken on a life of its own. The words we say everyday have the potential to take on life.

In my devotion time this morning I was reading once again from Genesis 1, and in particular focusing on the passage of verses 20-31. In these verses I am reminded of God’s voice not just being distinct and powerful, but his voice is also life-giving. In these passages God speaks, and there is life. Today, let our voice give life in a Godly way – giving life to those that are down – giving life and hope to those who fear – giving life to the oppressed.