words

Can you hear the voice of truth?

It amazes me that people can read identical words or hear the exact same message and yet have complete different interpretations. They may not even hear the same words that are being said.

This became a reality to me when the “Laurel or Yanny” craze hit social media. A single word was spoken and the internet exploded. Some people heard the word “Yanny” while others heard the word “Laurel”. According to a couple different web sites, the confusion involved frequency. If a person hears higher frequencies they are sure the word is “Yanny” and vice versa.

Jay Aubrey Jones, who recorded the word for Vocabulary.com stated that he was actually saying the word, Laurel.  The word, Yanny, is not even in Vocabulary.com. Before the audio scenario debate there was the color of the dress debate in 2015. Some people said they saw a black and blue dress while others saw it as white and gold. (By the way: the dress color is black and blue.)

I realized that individuals can be extremely positive that they know the truth but somehow be very mistaken. From the moment a word is spoken it can become twisted or tainted. By the time it hits the ear of the listener it can become something completely different from what was said. It is like the game “telephone” that we played as  children.  A phrase is whispered into the first child’s ear and that child whispers it into the next child’s ear. By the time the phrase reaches the last child, it usually isn’t even close to what was said in the beginning.

The words Jesus spoke were often misrepresented or misunderstood. He often spoke in parables or stories to help explain salvation, the kingdom of God or other dynamic truths.  In Mark 4:9 he says, “Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear.” (NIV)  That statement is heard several times in the book of Revelation, as well.

In Matthew 13:13b Jesus states” Though seeing, they do not see; though hearing, they do not hear or understand.” (NIV)

That is a scary thought.

The truth that can lead people to salvation, to freedom and to an eternity with their creator was not being heard. It wasn’t because it wasn’t being spoken. Jesus stood among the people of his day and yet they could not hear the truth or see it. It is the same thing today.

Jesus continues speaking in verse 14a:
“In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah: ‘You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving.” (NIV)

(I wondered how it could be possible that they could see with their own eyes and hear with their own ears, yet not perceive the truth. Jesus answered that question in the following verse.)

15a: “For this people’s heart has become CALLOUSED: they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes.” (NIV)

Calloused skin is skin that has become hardened and thick. So a calloused heart is someone whose heart has become hardened and thick. They have put up a wall over and over so that truth can no longer penetrate. They have become insensitive. People with calloused hearts have refused to listen to truth so many times that one day they do not even recognize truth. Their hearts have become so hard they cannot hear it nor see it.

That is why Proverbs 4:23 states, “Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life.” (NLT)

Jesus is very clear that listening to his voice will allow us to follow in his footsteps for our lives. He will direct each of us if we choose to listen to his guidance. He states in John 10:27, “My sheep hear my voice; I know them, and they follow me.” (NIV)

You might ask how I am sure that I am following truth and not being deceived. Deception is deceptive. I have confidence because I ask my Lord to keep me in truth and reveal any area of deception. And he is faithful.

My prayer is found in Psalm 25:5 “Guide me in your truth, and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long.” (NIV)

If you desire to hear His voice it is never too late to call out to God for truth. He will be sure to answer! God is full of mercy and grace and wants to fill you with his hope.

“I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.” Ezekiel 36:27 (NIV)

My hope is that you and I will hear our Lord say ” But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear.”
Matthew 13:16 (NIV)

God bless.

Just for fun:
If you have not had the chance to listen to the Yanny vs Laurel debate open the link below and find out what you hear.  Then decide what color the dress looks like to you.

 

Yanny vs Laurel

 

 

black and blue dress

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Power of thoughts, power of words, power of hope.

“Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me!”

Do you remember those words as a child when you were being harassed? We would chant them back at our attacker, knowing very well that those words spoken to us were cutting deep into our spirits. Yet we felt it was a way to protect our hearts; kind of like putting up an invisible force field. Perhaps if we said the chant louder to our attackers their words would not penetrate us as deep. It seemed negative words rang in our ears far louder than the positive ones did.

A person seems to know instinctively to try to guard their hearts from hurt. It is so important because out of a heart springs a well of life.

“Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life.” Proverbs 4:23,  (NLT)

There are a lot of broken people in our world. Their words can be hateful. That is why we, who call ourselves believers, have to be even more careful how we speak to others. It isn’t just because it represents the Lord, but because it represents our own hearts and can bring life and death to those around us.

Proverbs has many places in its passages that explain how the foolish use their words destructively and that it will eventually bring ruin to themselves and those around them. Yet it pleads to the reader to seek wisdom. It eventually states that there is life and death in the power of the tongue. Proverbs 18:21 (NIV)

I suppose that is why the Psalmist said, ” May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.” PS 19:14

There is power in our words. It is with words that the Lord created the world. “Let there be light,” he said. And there was light! There is creative power in the things we say and even in the very thoughts that are hidden in our minds.

In fact you can find sympathy cards that state: “You are in our thoughts and prayers” or “sending good thoughts your way.” What are positive words or thoughts suppose to do?Actually they may do more than we realize. If it was the power of words that created our world, can you envision the power of words that can create hope in someone?

Adults that constantly criticize young people can create the way a child thinks about himself and eventually affect their actions. I know first hand. I had a teacher in first grade whose words were consistently harsh towards me. As young as 6-years-old, I had begun to have negative thoughts about myself.

Fortunately my 3 grade teacher thought so much differently about me. Her words of encouragement filled my heart with a positive attitude. It made such a difference to me regarding how I thought about myself. By the time I left her classroom I was a different person.

Believing in myself, I graduated as the salutatorian of my class in highschool. I say that to confirm the power of words.  Can you imagine the other road I could have taken had I believed in the negative words? My thoughts about myself had been renewed.

It is in our thought life that both good and evil are birthed. It is there that creative ideas are imagined. It is there that we decide if we can accomplish a task or give up.  It is there where we consider what we will be when we grow up. It is there that we choose a path for our lives, where to live, who to date, what job to take, etc…

That is why 1 Corinthians talks about having the mind of Christ.  It states that only the Spirit knows the deep things of God. It is just like our own thoughts; no one knows them but ourselves. That is why people who do not have the spirit of God in them do not understand God’s way of thinking; it seems foolish. But if we have Him in our hearts, we begin to learn what the Spirit is saying. Eventually we begin to walk with the mind of Christ and make our choices accordingly.

Philippians goes on to state that he will keep our hearts and minds in peace if we are not anxious. And where does anxiety begin? It begins in our minds or thoughts. What we think about, what we put into our hearts, what we meditate on will eventually be what we say and do. Good or evil will come out of our mouth because it was first stored in our hearts and in our minds.

I once heard an evangelist share that he taught these concepts to his little boy. One day he took his child to a store and the man in front of him in the check-out line was swearing up a storm. Suddenly the boy pulled on his daddy’s jacket and asked, “Daddy, is there s@#% in that man’s heart?” The father was extremely embarrassed until the man’s girlfriend turned around and looked down at the little boy and said, “Yes, honey, there is.”

“A good person produces good things from the treasury of a good heart, and an evil person produces evil things from the treasury of an evil heart. What you say flows from what is in your heart. Luke 6:45 (NLT)

Yes, I have interchanged heart and mind (and even thoughts) as I wrote. I know there is a saying that states, “Should you follow your heart or your mind?”  But I personally think that refers to following your feelings versus your reasoning.  I guess what I am trying to relay is this simple statement, “garbage in, garbage out.” What you meditate on (think about) will eventually find its way out in some sort of expression.

But I also want to add that it is EXTREMELY important what you say to those around you and even what you think or say about yourself.  What are you speaking? Are you speaking death and hopelessness or life and hope?

I challenge you to speak life, even in a corrupt world of political unrest, angry souls, unjust standards and simple foolishness.

LIFE-the true power of the life of Christ, the light of the world, will ALWAYS dispel darkness and death.

God bless.