Speak Life, Change Lives

Oct 16, 2024    Nathan Witherell

In Numbers 13, we read that Israel sent out 12 scouts to confirm the promise that God will provide them a perfect land to build their nation. Out of the 12 scouts sent, 10 of them returned with a report that contradicted the word of God, and only 2 of them confirmed the word of the Lord. The Bible tells us there is power of death and life in the tongue. The 10 with the negative reports were struck dead, because they spread things that were not true, and the 2 with the positive report were the only ones who got to experience the promise land.


So why did the 10 have such a negative report when they saw the same thing Joshua & Caleb did?


1. Fear or Faith: The Choice is Yours

Fear and faith are very similar; they both require belief. Fear is believing that God won't come through on what He promised. Faith is believing that God is true to His word.

The 10 scouts were so gripped by fear, they chose to ignore God's promise that the land would be theirs. They went back to Israel and spread their fear instead of having faith in God. They literally spoke their own demise and spread their fear so far that an entire nation was delayed from entering God's promise.

Hebrews chapter 11 gives many other examples of faith throughout the Bible, and in every one of them, they are given credit for believing the promise that God made to them.


2. Your Mouth is the Weapon, Your Mind is the Battlefield

In Luke 6, Jesus tells us that out of the overflow of our heart, the mouth speaks. "Heart" here encompasses your mind, thoughts, and feelings.

"Watch your thoughts, they become your words; watch your words, they become your actions; watch your actions, they become your habits; watch your habits, they become your character; watch your character, it becomes your destiny."


3. Whatever is Filled will Spill Over

A lot things fight for our attention, our thoughts, our feeds... the most important thing you can fill yourself with is the Holy Spirit. Be mindful - we need the FRUIT of the Holy Spirit in order to operate fully in the GIFTS of the Holy Spirit.

- Fruit of the Holy Spirit: love, joy, peave, patient, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness, and self-control


3 Tips to Start Speaking Life:

1. Remember Your Identity

2. Take Every Thought Captive

3. Change the Way You Speak