Dorie Van Stone was rejected by her mother and orphaned at a very early age. Never having experienced being held, hugged or loved, she began a life of being abused in the orphanage and later in foster homes. The hurt brought anger, the anger brought hate until one day someone in the orphanage told Dorie that Jesus loved her. I had the privilege of hearing Ms. Van Stone describe in person how those words began to change her mind set, her heart, and eventually her life. It's amazing what a few kind words spoken in genuine love can do.

In genuine love, God spoke the world and man into existence. With His words the blind could see, the lame walk, and the dead live again. It is in love that Christ spoke, "It is finished" forever giving man access to the throne of God. If words are this powerful, how then should we speak as parents to our children, as partners to our spouses, as Christians to the world? So often in loud voices and corrupt words, we bow a knee to our own pride and we give worship to our own bloated egos. While we worship a God that has given us peace as our legacy, we rejoice in the perverseness of our evil desire to come out on top, be number one, have the last word, or beat up others with rebukes, condemnation, and a barrage of fractious, deviant words. How do we put to death our human desires and submit to the holy God we serve when it comes to the words we use and the way we use them?

We must devour the word of God with such appetite, fierceness, and prayer that when we speak we speak God's word, as we ponder, wonder and imagine we do so in and from God's word, and when we act or react we do in accordance to God's word. Then when times of distress or trouble overwhelm us the content of our heart which is expressed through the words of our mouth will reflect the wisdom, the knowledge, and the love and peace of God in such a way that it will bring others to Him, make one another stronger, and bring good to those who listen to us (Eph. 4:29-32). With that, let us live in the light and promise of these words spoken by Christ, "Blessed are the peacemakers for they will be called the sons of God." Matt. 5:9
Diana M. Cline

Jesus Cares Ministry