Fresh Manna
by Pastor Tim Burt

I don’t think people transparently talk about this much, but I have had enough conversations to know it to be true. What am I talking about? I’m talking about where your mind can too often go when you begin to experience a symptom of sickness.

Though I’ve been a Bible reading and believing Christian for 43 years, I still remember my mind racing to dark places when I’d experience a symptom of sickness in my pre-Christian days. Especially if had a symptom that lasted for more than a day, and there was a common illness going around. I’d think I was coming down with it to. If there wasn’t anything going around and I had some kind of a symptom for more than a couple of days, I’d begin to think of cancer or some other horrible disease. Why? I don’t know. Too many TV shows or movies that portrayed dark scenarios? But I’d think about it and maybe even verbalize it to someone. And even though I really didn’t have anything, I think my imagination contributed to symptoms lasting for a while. Crazy huh?

With the Coronavirus going around, I’m sure the second someone sneezes or coughs, or gets the flu, they’re going to immediately wonder, Do I have the Coronavirus? A couple of times when I’ve started coughing, that’s the first thought that came to my mind! Oh oh! Do I have the Coronavirus? The weird thing is, I don’t even think like that! I guard my mind and thoughts like a fortress. But, even so, when there is so much conversation about it, those thoughts can quickly sneak in like a mouse through the tiniest hole.

It reminded me of something I often think and talk about. Most people have no idea that their words are containers of power. They’re seeds that grow. They get lodged in the mind and heart. Negative thoughts lead to more bad thoughts. Fear can take quickly take root, and suddenly you transition from just thinking those bad thoughts to saying them! And when you do, they become more real to you!  Remember the story of Job? Listen to what Job said; “What I feared has come upon me; what I dreaded has happened to me.” (Job 3:25)  Job loved God but instead of believing and speaking of trust and faith, he was speaking about his fears and acting upon them. If you don’t understand this spiritual truth, you need to learn it. Faith and fear are both a spiritual force. Faith is trusting in God’s promises that leads to hope and peace, and fear is responding, acting upon, and proclaiming doom over your life. Job fell prey to the latter. That might sound like an exaggeration to you, but maybe you need to learn more about words.

You remember in Genesis. Over and over we read, “God SAID, “Let there be… and there was…” Words spoken by God in faith is how He created and shaped our world. Hebrews 11:3 NLT says, “By faith we understand that the entire universe was formed at God’s command, that what we now see did not come from anything that can be seen.” What this is saying is that God’s words of faith created the world we live in! Mankind is careless with words but God is not. He knows the power of words. Words of faith triggered His creation. Matthew 5:18 NKJV amplifies this point saying, “For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled.” God’s law was His word and He said that His words would never pass away!

God teaches us in Proverbs 18:21 NIV “The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit.”

God teaches us that our tongue can bring healing or destroy. Proverbs 15:4 NIV says, “The tongue that brings healing is a tree of life, but a deceitful tongue (one that distorts what really is true) crushes the spirit.” Do you see that power in the tongue? Speaking things that are contrary to the truth can crush us.

Our words can create, shape, inspire, encourage, and bring healing. God desires to speak through us to bless others. (Like I pray that I am doing with you today!) We see that in 2 Samuel 23:2 NLT. “The Spirit of the Lord speaks through me; His words are upon my tongue.”

And God instructs us that part of His measurement for spiritual growth and maturity is based on our words. James 3:2 (NLT2) says, “Indeed, we all make many
mistakes. For if we could control our tongues, we would be perfect and could
also control ourselves in every other way.”

Whether you are speaking about yourself, or your speaking about others, be led by the Spirit of God as you choose your words. No matter what the situation or scenario that could lead you to dark thoughts and words, instead of speaking them, just pray about them in faith. Thank the Lord He is your Healer and protector! Pause and yield to His leading. Practice that continuously and you will have learned something extremely valuable from God that far to few do. You’ll learn to speak right words that aren’t distorted and work against you or others! You’ll be a messenger of good news instead of bad. You’ll become the optimist instead of the pessimist. And, it will bless you beyond belief. But even more importantly, it will bless others! It will because your tongue will be a source of healing and life to others. And when a symptom comes, you’ll say, Oh I’m sure its nothing! 

Isaiah 50:4 “The Sovereign Lord has given me an instructed tongue, to know the word that sustains the weary. He wakens me morning by morning, wakens my ear to listen like one being taught.”

In His love,
Pastor Tim Burt

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