0:16 StoryChanger Devotional: Who can I trust with my future? (Isaiah 42:1-9)
6:56 A Motorcycle Accident
12:51 Scrolling Alone
Why Our Attention Needs Stewardship by Katie Westenberg
Scrolling Alone: How Instagram Is Making a Generation of Girls Lonely, Anxious, and Sad with Sarah Zylstra
Social Sanity in an Insta World
New Book: The StoryChanger: How God Rewrites Our Story By Inviting Us Into His
Visit thestorychanger.life for more resources on changing our story with God’s Story.
0:20 StoryChanger Devotional: How can I recover from a heavy defeat? (Isaiah 41:21-29)
6:54: Should I debate an atheist?
12:03 How can I get more out of church?
New Book: The StoryChanger: How God Rewrites Our Story By Inviting Us Into His
Visit thestorychanger.life for more resources on changing our story with God’s Story.
Listen here.
0:23 StoryChanger Devotional: What’s going on? (Isaiah 41:1-20)
7:37 God protects through a drugged dog by Jo de Blois
14:06 International Student Ministries
An Unexpected Field for Ministry
The Light of the World: How Jesus is Reaching International Students
New Book: The StoryChanger: How God Rewrites Our Story By Inviting Us Into His
Visit thestorychanger.life for more resources on changing our story with God’s Story.
INTRODUCTION
“Sticks and stones will break my bones, but words will never hurt me.” Really? Whoever says that has never been verbally abused or lied about. Sticks and stones can only injure the body, whereas words can injure the heart, the soul, the psyche.
A few years ago, a study conducted by research psychologists at Purdue University, Indiana, found that memories of painful emotional experiences linger far longer than those involving physical pain. The researchers quizzed people about painful events in the previous five years and found that it was much easier for people to relive, re-experience, and re-suffer from social pain than from physical pain.
A study of physical health consequences of physical and psychological abuse concludes: “Verbal abuse is strongly associated with chronic pain, migraine and frequent headaches, stammering, ulcers, spastic colon, and frequent indigestion, diarrhea, or constipation along with many stress-related heart conditions. The psychological effects of verbal abuse include: confusion, shame, fear and anxiety, depression, stress and PTSD, intrusive memories, memory disorders, sleep or eating problems, hyper-vigilance and exaggerated startle responses, irritability, anger issues, alcohol and drug abuse, suicide, self-harm, and assaultive behaviors.” The research led Harvard to publish an article entitled: “Verbal beatings hurt as much as sexual abuse.”
So what do we do when words have wounded us? We turn to the healing Word of God as the Psalmist did in Psalm 12.
BACKGROUND
The Psalms are God’s infallible study of the connections between feeling, thinking, and doing. They stimulate healthy thoughts, feelings, and actions. But they also help us process dangerous and damaging emotions. So far we’ve felt the following Psalms:
1. WE’RE WOUNDED BY THE WICKED’S WORDS (1-4)
“Save, O Lord, for the godly one is gone; for the faithful have vanished from among the children of man” (1). Wherever David looked, the wicked were increasing while the godly were decreasing. As a result, the wicked’s words were multiplying while the godly’s words were shrinking. What’s so bad about that?
In contrast with the truthful, sincere, and genuine words of the godly, the wicked’s words were characterized by lies, flattery, and a double heart. “Everyone utters lies to his neighbor; with flattering lips and a double heart they speak” (2-3). It was impossible to know when anyone was speaking the truth.
But it didn’t stop there. Their tongue “makes great boasts,” they say, “With our tongue we will prevail, our lips are with us; who is master over us?” (3-4). “Our tongues will triumph, our lips are Lord.” They had supreme confidence in the supremacy and success of their wicked words. It was agony for David to hear their triumphant talk.
CHANGING OUR STORY WITH GOD’S STORY
Admit your wounds. The first step in any healing is to accept you’ve been injured. Whether it was a parent, a bully, a teacher, a pastor, an employer, or just the drip-drip-drip of the culture’s hostile words towards Christians, admit you’ve been wounded and you need healing.
Stop listening to the wicked. I was listening to a podcast recently where a trauma expert said he’s lost count of the number of times he’s prescribed, “No more news.” Some words we cannot block out, but some words we can. We can listen to Christian songs instead of Talk Radio. We can block certain people on social media. We may not be able to block out everything but we can block out some of the words that wound us.
Start speaking to the Lord. Psalms like this must have been frequently on the lips of Jesus when he lived in this wicked world and went through such painful verbal abuse. He felt it more keenly than anyone else as he was not only a perfect man but had perfect sensitivity. How often he was traumatized by the words people said about him and to him. He wasn’t just one of God’s people, he was God himself, and therefore felt the pain of blasphemy as a direct hit against himself. We can therefore come to the one who knows the pain of verbal wounds, who sympathizes, and who can sustain us (Heb. 2:17-18; 4:15).
Repent of your wounding words. If you’ve been guilty of wounding people with words or attempting to wound God with words, then confess this to God and whoever you have wounded seek forgiveness.
Sticks and stones break my bones,
but words break my heart.
What words can heal our broken hearts?
2. WE’RE HEALED BY GOD’S WORD (5-8)
The wicked have spoken, but now God speaks. “Because the poor are plundered, because the needy groan, I will now arise,” says the Lord; “I will place him in the safety for which he longs” (5). God does not sit idly by, unconcerned as the weak and defenseless are verbally assailed and assaulted. He sees their wounds, he hears their groans, and he speaks to promise protection and safety.
How does he do this? He may remove the wounded sufferer from the verbally violent circumstances. Or he may give his own healing Word to replace the wounding words. “The words of the Lord are pure words, like silver refined in a furnace on the ground, purified seven times” (6). How the psalmist welcomed God’s pure, powerful, precious, protective words.
The psalmist responded by repeating God’s protective promises in the midst of the wicked’s wounding words. “You, O Lord, will keep them; you will guard us from this generation forever. On every side the wicked prowl, as vileness is exalted among the children of man” (7-8). The Psalmist is walking along the road seeing vile deeds and hearing vile words, but God is keeping him and shielding him with his pure, powerful, protective Word.
CHANGING OUR STORIES WITH GOD’S STORY
Replace wicked words with the written Word. Let’s fill our heads and hearts with God’s protective Word to shut out wicked wounding words. We have a daily choice about which words we will permit entry to. We cannot stop the flow of wicked words into our lives unless we pour in God’s Word instead. This is how Jesus lived, not by bread alone, but by every Word of God. Beautiful words make beautiful character. Instead of gazing at wicked words and ruminating on what someone said about you or to you, gaze on God’s Word, look at its value, beauty, shine, etc and let its beauty beautify you. Let God tell you what you mean to him, how he loves you, how he cherishes and treasures you. Let him praise you when others are insulting you.
Replace wicked words with the living Word. Jesus is the perfect Word of God, pure, like silver refined in a furnace on the ground, purified seven times. We love him and we love his Word, especially when we feel hated with hateful words. When someone’s words remind you of their hate, use Jesus’s words to remind you of his love.
God’s pure Word protects
from the wicked’s painful words.
SUMMARY
THE NEXT CHAPTER
Gospel: If your words have been wicked, remember you can be saved by God’s good Word.
Identity: Don’t let the wicked’s words define you, but let God’s Word define you. Don’t let the wicked’s words weigh more with you than God’s Word.
Sing: Sing this song to admit your wounds and heal your wounds. Sing it as a lament, a confession, a prayer, and a praise.
Prayer: Healer of wounds, bring your Word into my life to heal me and make me a healer not a wounder.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1. What words have you heard that wounded you?
2. What have you done with these word-wounds?
3. How will this Psalm change the way you process words wounds from the past and in the future?
4. What Words of God are most previous and healing to you?
5. What did this Psalm teach you about Jesus?
6. How will this Psalm change the way you speak to or about others?
INTRODUCTION
At some point or other in our lives, most of us experience some degree of financial need. There have been a few times in my own life when I had serious financial worries. The first was when I lost a lot of money on a business venture in my early twenties. The second was when I was a student for the ministry, and I was working as a delivery driver to make ends meet. The third was when I went nine months without a call to serve a church. “How will I survive?” I kept worrying.
These were horrible months full of fear, anxiety, and stress. I felt physically sick at points and couldn’t sleep some nights. I kept looking at my account balance hoping the bank would make a mistake and put some money in there. Or perhaps God would make a direct divine deposit to solve all my problems. But no, the minus sign was still there every time I looked, and the number was only getting bigger. “How will I survive?” I worried.
I’m sure many of you have been in similar circumstances. Perhaps some of you are in need right now. Rising inflation, medical costs, school fees, gas prices, etc., have got many of us worried about how we are going to make ends meet. Even if we survive this crisis, what about retirement, what about senior living costs? How will I survive? I want to give you a bank note today that will help to calm your fears and worries.
BACKGROUND
One of the roles associated with being a father is to provide for the needs of our household. That doesn’t mean women shouldn’t work (see Proverbs 31), but it does mean that the father in the family is ultimately responsible to provide for the needs of his family (1 Timothy 5:8). That’s why God the Father is presented as the provider for his children. We see that for example in the Lord’s prayer where we ask our heavenly father, “Give us today our daily bread” (Mat. 6:11). We also see it in Philippians 4:19-20 where the impoverished and imprisoned Paul pulls out a heavenly banknote issues by his heavenly father and gives it to every member of God’s family. Let’s examine that heavenly bill.
1. WE HAVE A RICH BANK
Behind every bill, every bank note, is an issuing bank. In the US, it is the Federal Reserve bank. In other countries, like the UK, different banks are authorized to issue currency notes in their own name. The name of the bank matters because it’s what gives the currency authority and value. If the bank is stable and secure, people can put a lot of confidence in the currency. If it is unstable or unreliable, then our confidence levels in its authority and value will be low.
Paul’s bank note has the most stable and reliable name in the world on it: “God.” It doesn’t get more secure than that. This bank has:
CHANGING OUR STORIES WITH GOD’S STORY
Wonder and worship. Paul is frequently overwhelmed with God’s riches (Eph. 1:7; 1:18; 2:7; 3:8; 3:16). Join him in wondering and worshipping.
Change your bank. For every look at your bank account, credit card statement, student debt, the inflation rate, gas prices, look at heaven’s bank more.
CHANGE YOUR BANK TO CHANGE
YOUR MOOD AND YOUR MONEY.
What kind of currency does this bank issue? The most valuable currency in the world.
2. WE HAVE A BIG BANK NOTE
The biggest dollar bill ever issued by the US was a $10,000 bill. Today, the biggest note is $100. Children, if I gave you a $100 bill you’d look at it very closely wouldn’t you? You’d look at the amount, you’d look at the color, you’d look to see if it was genuine. But I want you to do more than examine it. I want you to want it, take it, spend it, and enjoy spending it. It would take you a while to spend it all, wouldn’t it?
Well I want to put before you today an even bigger note and a $100 bill. Look at verse 19 and see if you can tell how much this bill is worth. What does it say? It says, not $100 not even $10,000 but “all your need.” Wow! That’s one valuable bank note isn’t it? It is “need” singular indicating that God knows each and every single one of your needs. It doesn’t say, “All you want” or “All you deserve” but “All your need.” That means it’s even more than financial need. It is that, but it’s much more than that:
Remember, the word here for “supply” is literally “fill to the brim” or “fill full.” God doesn’t just put a drip in our cups.
CHANGING OUR STORIES WITH GOD’S STORY
Trust your Father’s wisdom. If you’ve tried to cash this note and your need has not been met, God may be saying to you, “This is not a need but a want.” Or perhaps he’s saying, “I’ll supply your need for submission and patience.”
Ask for your Father’s provision. Take this promise to him and tell him all your needs. Fathers love their children asking for help and love to meet needs (Matt. 7:9-11). Take this note, examine it, cash it in, and enjoy spending it.
GOD MEETS OUR NEEDS
SO WE CAN MEET OTHERS NEEDS
How do I access this provision? There’s an open cashier.
3. WE HAVE AN OPEN CASHIER
This bank is always open and there’s one cashier who is always available. The cashier is the bank’s representative, someone the bank has authorized to issue money and help customers. God’s representative is Jesus Christ. He is the only way God deals with customers. We cannot bypass him or get to God any other way. There are other cashiers who promise that they can meet your needs.
These are all popular cashiers with long lines of agitated and anxious people waiting at their desks. The shortest line is the line for Christ Jesus. He gives far more easily and generously than the other cashiers. He gives “according to his riches in glory.” That means “on the same scale as his riches in glory” or “in a manner that befits his heavenly wealth.” No wonder those in this line have learned to be content (Phil 4:11).
CHANGING OUR STORIES WITH GOD’S STORY
Switch lines. Give up waiting for satisfaction in the other lines and trust your Father to provide on a lavish scale through Jesus Christ. Take this note out of your pocket and cash it.
Praise God. Paul moves immediately from this great promise of his father (19) to great praise for the Father (20).
A GREAT PROMISE
MEANS GREAT PRAISE
SUMMARY
NEXT CHAPTER
Gospel. He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? (Rom. 8:32). This is an argument from the greater to the lesser. If you ever doubt the giving heart of God get to the giving heart of God at the cross.
Trust. Trust the bank, trust the bank note, trust the bank cashier. Use this note every day to remove fear and worry.
Give. Freely you have received, freely give (Matt. 10:8). Reflect the Father in your daily life.
Prayer. My generous Father, thank you for providing for my every need in the past. Help me to trust your promise for the future too.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1. When have you felt great need in your life? How did it affect you?
2. How has God provided for your needs in the past?
3. What are your greatest needs today?
4. What’s cashier’s have you tried and whatever was the result?
5. How can you live out this truth before your children, neighbors, colleagues?
6. How should this change earthly fathers?
Listen here.
00:16 StoryChanger Devotional: Energy Boost for the Spiritually Tired (Isaiah 40:28-31)
3:42: Why I left the Seminary
9:19 No Michelin Stars for Pastors
No Michelin Stars for Pastors: Leaders Must Serve the Church, Not Glorify Themselves by Cody Willbanks
New Book: The StoryChanger: How God Rewrites Our Story By Inviting Us Into His
Visit thestorychanger.life for more resources on changing our story with God’s Story.