
Words have been plentiful for me this season. I’ve been close to the finishing of a book I’m writing, I’ve been helping my kids with remote learning while the school took a break, I took in precious words from friends at a birthday gathering, and just recently played some serious games of speed scrabble over the Thanksgiving break with family. We all know that words have been plentiful with people over politics, over the pandemic, and over what this next season holds.
Words are important, and maybe even more important is what we do with them. The other night I was exchanging a letter in my scrabble game to make a new word and I sensed the Lord saying to me that “His words will be with us this season in bulk.” Later I went to Joel 2, in the Message Bible Version where it reads, “be glad in your God. He’s giving you a teacher to train you how to live right. Teaching, like rain out of heaven, showers of words will be sent to refresh and nourish your soul, just as he used to do.”
I believe that God is not only going to shower us with words that will nourish and grow us up into health, but like a good teacher He is also going to give us a new context about the words He releases and deposits with us. Words that hold, reveal, and return wonder back to us… “God will set you back on your heels in wonder” (Joel 3). WONDER; – a feeling of surprise mingled with admiration, caused by something beautiful, unexpected, unfamiliar, or inexplicable. – a desire to be curious or know something. (SYN. Astonishment, amazement, fascination, awe)
I keep hearing the phrase “wonder words”- words that will be weighty and will act as an anchor for us in the coming season. Unlike the way I strain at scrabble to put a word together, I believe the words He speaks will come to us with ease and very little effort on our part, “on the very same day I’ll give an answer to you.” -Hosea 2
It’s a time to ask God about some things, to exchange any old, harmful, or confusing words for some better ones, and to take seriously the ones He’s giving to you. Isaiah tells us that “He is not a man that He would lie, He makes good on his word, fulfills His promises, and all the words out of His mouth wouldn’t return back to him void or empty but will do all that He has planned to do.” (Now that’s a word 🙋♀️)
In the midst of a typically busy holiday season, remember to slow down and take some time with the Living Word, the One who is still a wonder and speaking wonders. “And The Word became flesh and made his home among us…” I pray each of us would know words and The Living Word in a brand new way this Christmas season, there is no shortage of things He wants to share with us.
Making room-DeAnn C