Does Your Tongue Need Healing? (Chapter 4)

Chapter 4 - Words Determine Destiny

Key Verse:

Numbers 13:30-31 - "And Caleb stilled the people before Moses, and said, Let us go up at once, and possess it; for we are well able to overcome it. But the men that went up with him said, We are not able to go up against the people; for they are stronger than we." (KJV)

Key Thoughts:

Men determine their own destinies by the way they use their tongues.

Take notice of the words in the verse from Numbers. Caleb said, "We are well able to overcome it." The other ten spies said, "We are not able." One set of spies said the positive: "We are able." The other set said the negative: "We are not able." If we continue to follow the story through the rest of the chapter in Numbers, we will see that each group got exactly what they said. Each ones' destiny was settled by their words. (Prince, p 37) The men that spoke negatively settled for death, and the men that spoke positively received life.

In the New Testament, we as Christians are warned that the same lesson applies to us. Hebrews 4:1-2 reads - "Therefore, since the promise of entering his rest still stands, let us be careful that none of you be found to have fallen short of it. 2For we also have had the gospel preached to us, just as they did; but the message they heard was of no value to them, because those who heard did not combine it with faith." (NIV)

Consider this, when we face God's promise concerning a certain situation, what are we going to do with our tongues? Are we going to give assent to the promise of God? Are we going to identify ourselves with the promise of God and say, "God said it; I'm able." Or are we going to be one of those who say, "Nevertheless, look at all the problems, God said it, but somehow I don't feel able." (41 -42) Just as the spies settled their destinies with their tongues by the words that they spoke, so the same lesson applies to whoever has heard the gospel.