I was probably eight years old when my neighbor and best friend, Butch, got into a fight with the two Krum brothers down the street. Their mother ran us off, and as we left, the boys called us some pretty ugly names. Together, we shouted back all the way up the block, “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me!” It sounded convincing at the time. As I grew older, I learned that words can leave marks that no bandage can cover. A punch in the nose fades faster than a sentence that lingers in the mind. Words spoken by those closest to us, parents, teachers, spouses, and friends, can either steady us or quietly undo us. I still find it curious that we try to shrug off words as harmless, even while remembering things said years ago with surprising clarity.
When God speaks, His words do far more than describe reality; they create it. His voice brings order out of chaos, light into darkness, and life where there was none. Yet when His words are rejected, ignored, or dismissed, the result is not neutral. Jeremiah captures this with striking imagery in 5:14: “Because you have spoken this word, behold, I am making my words in your mouth a fire, and this people wood, and the fire shall consume them.” Words can warm or burn, depending on how they are received. That truth settles into daily life in ways we often overlook. We speak constantly, sometimes carefully, sometimes carelessly. I have noticed that it takes far less effort to say something sharp than to say something helpful. The tongue seems to have a quick reflex, and wisdom occasionally arrives a few seconds too late. Scripture reminds us, “Death and life are in the power of the tongue” (Proverbs 18:21), a truth that feels both simple and challenging.
The New Testament reveals that God’s final and clearest Word is not merely spoken but embodied in Jesus Christ. John writes, “In the beginning was the Word… and the Word became flesh and dwelt among us” (John 1:1, 14). In Him, God’s voice is heard not just in sound, but in life and action. The story of Steve Henning, who heard for the first time after decades of silence, captures something of this wonder. The first words he heard from his wife were, “I love you.” That moment reflects the heart of the gospel. Paul writes, “God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). Jesus is the Word spoken to reach us, to be understood, and to be received. In Him, words are no longer empty; they carry the fullness of God’s love into human hearts.