Surely you’ve heard the old adage, “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never harm me.” The Bible has something quite different to say about our words. It says, “Pleasant words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones” (Prov. 16:24), and, “A word aptly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver” (Prov. 25:11). Have you experienced the nourishment, beauty, and comforting power of a timely word?
Perhaps it’s encouragement offered at the very moment you feel like giving up. A phone call or email expressing care and concern in a time of hardship and sorrow. Maybe a song or Scripture pierces your heart, filling you with an undeniable sense of God’s peace and strength. Our words have power—power to build up or tear down; power to wound or to heal; power to fan the flame of the heart or to snuff it out.
On the edge of the Promised Land, Moses calls to Israel’s mind the memory of their victory against Og, the King of Bashan: “So the Lord our God also gave into our hands Og king of Bashan and all his army” (Deut. 3:3). He goes on to describe their conquest of the land, how the Israelite army claimed all sixty fortified cities in the region of Argob and its villages (v. 4–5). Moses reminds the Israelites just how formidable an opponent the king was, saying, “His bed was made of iron and was more than thirteen feet long and six feet wide” (v. 11).
Trials and obstacles can be unsettling and disheartening, but Moses’ history lesson served as an encouragement to the nation. His words strengthened them and built them up for the task at hand. Remembering what God did in the past allowed Israel to trust Him once more in the face of fierce opposition. Encouragement comes as we remember God’s past faithfulness.
After their victory, some of the Israelites (who later became known as the Transjordan tribes) requested to settle in the territory east of the Jordan River (Num. 32). Moses said to them, “Shall your countrymen go to war while you sit here? Why do you discourage the Israelites from going over into the land the Lord has given them? This is what your fathers did…they discouraged the Israelites from entering the land the Lord had given them” (Num. 32: 6–9, emphasis added).
Complacency in our walk with the Lord has a way of discouraging other believers and tempting them to stop short of God’s promises. Ultimately, Moses allowed the tribes to stay in the region east of the Jordan as long as they agreed to fight alongside their countrymen, ensuring they also would enter into the rest the Lord had given them (Deut. 3: 18–20). We must persevere in our faith, pushing on towards the fulfillment of God’s promises both for our sake and the benefit of others. Encouragement comes as we persevere in the pursuit of God’s promises.
The people were just beginning to see God’s greatness and strength through the mighty deeds He was performing on their behalf. The Lord promised to do the same to all the kingdoms of the Promised Land, saying He would fight for Israel Himself (v. 21–22). But Moses, who had led the people out of Egypt, forty years through the wilderness, and back to the very cusp of the Promised Land, would not be entering with the Israelites.
At that time the Lord told Moses, “…commission Joshua, and encourage and strengthen him, for he will lead this people across and will cause them to inherit the land that you will see” (Deut. 3:28). Moses’ failure to honor God at the waters of Meribah brought his career as their leader to a tragic end (Num. 20). He would not see the outcome of the nation he had led for so long, the nation he had grieved and wept over, those into whom he had poured his heart and soul.
Sometimes we don’t get to see the end result of our efforts. Sometimes things are simply out of our hands. And all the encouragement God has given will die with us if we fail to pass it along! That is why it is so important to invest in others, to call out their potential and support them in their strengths. Encouragement comes as we invest in the equipping of God’s people.
To encourage means to give support, confidence, or hope to someone. Jesus is our eternal encouragement and good hope! He encourages our hearts and strengthens us for every good deed and word (2 Thess. 2:16–17)! And He gifts us for works of service so that His body, the church, may also be encouraged, edified, and built up (Eph. 4:11–12).
So let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds (Heb. 10:24). May the encouragement we receive from God be passed along to others. And may we encourage one another and be encouraged as we remember God’s past faithfulness, as we persevere in pursuing His promises, and as we invest in equipping His people!
Lord Jesus, thank You for Your encouragement! Thank You for those You send to us with pleasant words, sweet to our souls. Thank You for the Scriptures that comfort our hearts in times of need. And thank You that, even in the midst of trials and opposition, we can take heart as we remember Your faithfulness and look to the godly examples of others. May we be conduits of godly encouragement and edification, pouring into others even as You pour into us! And may we keep a close watch on our words, saying only that which will be a benefit to ourselves and others. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Reflection Questions
- Has someone spoken encouragement into your life recently? Let them know how much their words meant to you, and how they touched your heart.
- As difficult circumstances arise in life, it is helpful to remember God’s past faithfulness so that we can persevere in pursuing His promises. If you don’t already do so, consider keeping a journal to record answered prayers and times when God has seen you through hardship. Share a time when God provided for a specific need or offered direct guidance that helped you persevere.
- God puts people in our lives so that we might invest in them—our spouses, our children, our friends and relatives, our church family. Who is God calling you to invest in at this stage in your life?