Sticks and Stones

After doing a little research I found that  the "old adage," "sticks and stones will break my bones but words will never harm me" is an English language children's rhyme. It was to persuade a child who was a victim of name calling to ignore the taunt, to refrain from physical retaliation, and to remain calm. It is reported to have appeared in "The Christian Recorder" of March 1862, a publication of the African Methodist Episcopal Church. Although it is excellent advice to ignore the taunt of name calling, to refrain from physical retaliation, and to remain calm the truth is, words are more powerful than sticks and stones.

Sticks and stones may break bones, but words can crush the heart, "How long will you torment my soul, and break me in pieces with words?" (Job 19:2) Few people realize that the very words that we speak can torment our soul and imprison us. It is the words that we speak that will build power or weakness in us, "Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit." (Proverbs 18:21) We will eat the fruit of our spoken words. Our mind may cast away the unkind words that are spoken, but they are absorbed in your spirit. We confess what we believe and what we confess is what dominates our inner being. If we talk or confess sickness, it's because we believe in sickness. If we talk weakness and failure, it's because we believe weakness and failure. If we confess lack in any area of life, it's because we believe in lack. When we realize that we will never rise above what we confess, we are getting to the place where God can really begin to use us.

"Let us hold fast the confession of our faith without wavering, for He who promised is faithful." (Hebrews 10:23) Our confession is the Word of God. His Word cannot be broken because God is faithful. What He said is true. What He said, He will do, because He cannot lie, "God is not a man, that He should lie, nor a son of man, that He should repent. Has He said, and will He not do? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?" (Numbers 23:19) When we doubt His Word it simply means that we do not trust Him. Our confidence may be in our abilities. It may be in medicine. It may be in highly educated people, but whatever our confidence is in, if it contradicts the Word of God, then it neutralizes faith. It causes our prayers to be powerless. It will bring us into bondage and we may find ourselves blaming God for something that He had nothing to do with.

The Bible tells us, "For we walk by faith, not by sight." (2 Corinthians 5:7) Every person who walks by faith will be tested. However, testing does not come from the Father, "Let no one say when he is tempted (Tested), I am tempted (Tested) by God; for God cannot be tempted (Tested) by evil, nor does He Himself tempt (Test) anyone." (James 1:13) Testing come from our adversary. The devil is going to test  you in every way he can for one reason. He knows the day that you become strong enough to resist all of his tests and deceptions, you become dangerous to him. When believers come to the place where they, "Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths" (Proverbs 3:5-6) the adversary is defeated in your life.

My prayer for you is that your confidence in the integrity of God's Word be strengthened to make you know that you know, "that no Word from God is without power." God told Jeremiah, "I watch over my Word to perform it." (Jeremiah 1:12) Your confidence in the Word of God and holding fast to your confession of faith in the face of every assault of the enemy will put him to flight, "Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you." (James 4:7)