26 letters

The power of those letters.

They are enough to incite a world war, but can also bring peace in foreign lands. They inspire, divide, create and destroy.

Strung together in a certain way, they form the basis of all our human interaction. Without words, we would be nor different from any other mammal, grunting, miaowing, or cooing our way around the planet. Whether in spoken conversation, or written down, words have an incredible power, more than anything that has ever been invented or created on this earth throughout the ages. Greater than the invention of the wheel, the TV or the Internet. None of which would have been created without words.

Words that change lives. 'I love you'. 'Will you marry me?' 'Honey, we're having a baby'.'Congratulations'.'I forgive you'.

Words that build up. Words that destroy. 'You failed'.'You're a liar'.'I hate you'.'I'm sorry to have to tell you, but ......'

Too often, we don't give a second thought to the words that escape our mouths. We offend, we complain, we scold, and then we wonder why the same words come back full circle.

And other times, we find ourselves in a foreign country (real or imagined). We talk, but our words just aren't understood. Words have no meaning until you understand them.

But words also give us hope. There is no greater example of words of hope than those found in the Bible. Without these words, we'd have no way of knowing and appreciating the amazing legacy that Jesus has left us. His words are alive and as relevant today as they were 2,000 years ago when he spoke them. And He speaks to us words of pure love and acceptance, if only we could hear them above the cacophony of noise in our lives.

It is only when we make a conscious choice to block out the noise, others words and even our own thoughts, that we reach that place of stillness and quiet. Where we can truly hear. And then the words flow freely to us. Words that give life. Always life.

May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing to you, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer. Psalm 19:14.

What words will you hear and speak today?