“Death and life are in the power of the tongue.” (Proverbs 18:21) “A wholesome tongue is a tree of life.” Proverbs 15:4. These scriptures connect our words with life; now let’s see where our hearts fit into this equation.
God is Spirit, and we are made in His image. Therefore we are also spirits, who have a soul, and live in a body. Our spirit is often referred to as our heart, our inner man, or the hidden man of the heart. Our spirit is who we are, the real us. Our spirit is the part of us that connects us to God the Father, Son (Jesus), and the Holy Spirit. It is also the part of us that will live forever, either in Heaven or Hell, depending on what we believe about Jesus, who is the only way to Heaven.* That is a brief definition, or explanation of our hearts. It is necessary for us to understand what or who our hearts (spirits) are, and the impact our words have on our hearts.
Jesus, Himself, is the one who linked words, heart, and life together. He said, “It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life.” (John 6:63) Jesus also said, “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life.” (John 14:6) He said to God, the Father, “Your words are truth.” (John 17:17) Here again we see the correlation between words (truth), heart (spirit) and life. Remember, God is a creative God, and we are made in His image. Words in our hearts (spirits) spoken out loud create. They create either life or death.
Jesus said, “out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks.” (Matthew 12:34) He also said “The things that come out of the mouth (words) come from the heart.” (Matthew 15:16) Solomon said in Proverbs 4:20-23 to keep God’s word “in the midst of your heart; for they are life to those who find them, and health to all their flesh. Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it are the issues of life.” The NIV version says the heart is the wellspring of life. The Amplified Bible says it this way. “Keep and guard your heart with all vigilance and above all that you guard; for out of it flow the springs of life.” Above all, we are to guard our heart with diligence and vigilance, and keep our hearts secure in God’s Word. “Your word have I hid in my heart.” (Psalm 119:11)
It is imperative that we guard our hearts. The way we do this is to keep God’s words in the midst of our hearts. We don’t let them depart from us; we don’t neglect, or ignore His words. We put His words into our hearts by reading, speaking, memorizing, and meditating. If we keep an abundance of His words in our hearts, then when we speak, we will be speaking life, creating hope and life in other people. That is so powerful!
However, the reverse is true. If we don’t put His word in our hearts and minds, the words that come out of our hearts will be words of death both to us and the people around us. Again that picture of a burned forest comes to my mind: death, devastation, and destruction. The choice is ours. Every day we can choose life or death. Let’s choose life. Proverbs 15:4 shows us a different picture than the burned down forest. “A wholesome tongue is a tree of life.” Let’s replant that forest with living, healthy, thriving trees!
Keeping God’s Word in our hearts affects our entire lives. God’s words are spirit and they are life. Since God is spirit, His words are spirit. His words create life. They create spirit life. And this spirit life is eternal! His words in our hearts cause that eternal spirit life to flow into our lives and out to others. The spirit life, which is in God’s words, not only brings life to our hearts, or spirits, but also affects our souls and our physical bodies. It brings health to all of our flesh. (Proverbs 4:20-23) And by guarding our mouths and tongues we can keep our souls from trouble, and keep ourselves from calamity. (Proverbs 21:23, NKJ and NIV)
Picture that wellspring of life flowing through us, creating a sense of well-being and peace in us. See it spilling out to other people as we speak life out of the abundance of our hearts.
*(1 Thessalonians 5:23; John 3:5-8, 16; John 4:23,24; John 6:63; Ephesians 3:16; 1 Peter 1:22; 1 Peter 3:4; Romans 1:9, Romans 2:29, Romans 8 whole chapter; 1 Corinthians 2:11-14; 1 Corinthians 3:16; Hebrews 4:12; James 2:26; 1 John 4:2,-; 1 Corinthians 6:17, 20; 2 Corinthians 3:6; 2 Corinthians 4:13; Colossians 2:5; Hebrews 4:12; )
