For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return there but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty; but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it. ~ Isaiah 55:10-11

Quick Sip

Words from a Father are powerful. They have the power to tear down. They have the power to build up. They have the power to change behavior and instill confidence like no other words can.

This week I’ve had a glimpse of just how powerful a Father’s words can be. On Monday, Ethan woke up on the wrong side of the bed. Before 8am he had already been sent to his room twice for whining and fit throwing. As Jeremy was leaving the house, he picked Ethan up and asked him to be good for momma and to not whine and throw fits. The effect of Jeremy’s parting words on Ethan’s behavior was immediate. The rest of the day he had a good attitude and was a great help, which was especially nice since Liam was sick and at his very worst.

Yesterday Jeremy did the same thing when he left, and again Ethan had a great attitude all day long. After weeks of whining and talking back, he was helpful and used his words. Today, well today, Jeremy had to go into work before any of us got up. It’s only 1pm and I can tell a huge difference in Ethan’s behavior. He’s been whining, back talking, and just plain hard to deal with all day.

As I took him to his room for the unteenth time this morning, it occurred to me the main difference was Jeremy’s words. They inspired something in him to do better. Quite honestly they always have. I discovered early on that I could spend hours trying to teach Ethan something, but if he had one session with Jeremy, the idea stuck.

This year God has been impressing on my how His words are even more powerful. That they have the power to work in my life and the lives of my family members in ways I have only yet to imagine. His words can breath life into things that are dead. They can create something out of nothing. They can heal even the deepest wounds. His words bring life.

Full Cup

Ezekiel 37:1-14
Luke 7:11-15
Genesis 1:1-3
Luke 7:7
Luke 6:47- 48