Reading: Mark 5, Psalm 37:30

“The mouth of the righteous speaks wisdom, And his tongue talks of justice.”

In the ancient world, wisdom wasn't merely a philosophical concept but a practical tool for shaping lives. The Greeks personified wisdom as the great mother god Sophia. They attributed to her the power of creation. But this idea was first revealed to Solomon in the Hebrew Bible. In Proverbs wisdom is personified as a divine guide - a mother’s voice that calls us to live in alignment with God.

In Proverbs two Solomon goes on to teach that wisdom comes directly from the words of God Himself, “My son, if you receive my words…so that you incline your ear to wisdom, and apply your heart to understanding; ... Then you will understand the fear of the LORD, And find the knowledge of God. For the LORD gives wisdom - from His mouth…” (Pro 2:1-2, 5-6).

The scriptures also teach that wisdom is revealed through the power of our words, as well. Read these verses thoughtfully,

“My mouth shall speak wisdom, And the meditation of my heart [shall give] understanding.” (Psa 49:3)

“The mouth of the righteous brings forth wisdom, But the perverse tongue will be cut out.” (Pro 10:13, 21, 31).

“There is one who speaks like the piercings of a sword, But the tongue of the wise [promotes] health.” (Pro 12:18)

“A wholesome tongue [is] a tree of life, But a perverse tongue breaks the spirit.[

(Pro 15:4)

“Death and life [are] in the power of the tongue, And those who love it will eat its fruit.”

(Prov. 18:22)

According to Proverbs 18:22, our tongue holds the power of life and death. This insight call us to partner with the Holy Spirit, by using God's Word and our voice to transform our lives.

In today’s reading from Mark 5 we find the story of how one woman’s words of faith unlocked Jesus’ healing power to transform her body. For twelve years she had suffered from a debilitating hemorrhage that made her both physically weak, ceremonially unclean, and socially isolated from Jewish society. Yet one day the woman heard about Jesus and believed that if she could just get close enough to Jesus, she would somehow be healed. We know this because Mark tells us about her words, “for she kept saying, " If I may only touch but his clothes, I shall be made whole.” (5:28).

After defying the religious laws that isolated her, she pressed through a crowd in her weakened condition and finally was close enough to reach out and touch Jesus’ robe. Here’s what happened,

“Immediately the fountain of her blood dried up, and she felt in [her] body that she was healed of the affliction. And Jesus, immediately knowing in Himself that power had gone out of Him, turned around in the crowd and said, "Who touched My clothes?" But His disciples said to Him, "You see the multitude thronging You, and You say, 'Who touched Me?' …He looked around to see who had done this thing. But the woman, fearing and trembling, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell down before Him and told Him the whole truth. And He said to her, "Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace, and be healed of your affliction." (5:29-34).

Imagine the depth of her struggle, the exhaustion from years of illness, the financial strain, and the societal stigma attached to her condition. Yet, despite these challenges, she chose to reframe her situation, adopt a new perspective, and experience a miracle! By placing her faith in Jesus, she received divine wisdom from God. Then she used the words of her mouth and took steps to act out her faith. The great message of this story is that she initiated the healing of her own body without Jesus consiously seeing or healing her. Jesus said, “daughter your faith has made you well”.

Every day we need to remember that the words we speak have the power to either bind us or set us free. The words we speak can either limit us, or release the unlimited power of God to transform us. According to the Apostle James, our tongue is a rudder that can steer our lives toward victory or defeat (James 3:1-5). Every word we utter carries weight and consequences. As we move throughout our days let’s face our problems with a faith that presses through every obstacle until we experience the healing, victory or breakthrough that God has promised.

As you go before the Lord today, take inventory of how you are currently using your words. Consider whether your words are producing life or death,
In your journal, write out an inventory of the areas of your life where you want to see change occur. It could be spiritual, marital, academic, relational, vocational, physical, etc.
Then write a confession that you can speak out loud - releasing your faith in the power of Jesus to flow into the area causing the transformation you desire.

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