Context gives teeth to words.

Luke 1:37 NLT

"For nothing is impossible with God. ”

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Somewhere around 1 A. D. -ish Gabriel the angel and the messenger of God was a busy dropping proverbial "bombs." The verse above was one of them.

In that busy year we first get a glimpse of his conversation with Zechariah. Zechariah wasn't a young man and when Gabriel tells him, he and his wife Elizabeth are going to have their very first baby Zechariah is left speechless. You see context changes the weight, meaning, and import of any words. I don't know if Gabriel is stunningly handsome or just shockingly otherworldly but it seems everyone be talks to is scared spitless.  If it weren't enough that the messenger is frightful his messages are earth shattering (that can be taken quite literally since Jesus is going to completely destroy this earth to make a new one, but that's an aside and not exactly Gabriel's story at this time).

So Gabriel tells Zechariah his son will be a prophet and not just any prophet but such a special one that he will usher in the King and bring an end to exile of people's hearts from the presence of God. Furthermore, John this baby born to very old first time parents will be filled with the Holy Spirit even from in the womb.

Nothing is impossible with God.

Maybe the most extraordinary part of Gabriel's announcement to Zechariah is the way in which God will use John to change people's hearts. Babies being born to old people seems a walk in the park every day occurrence compared to bringing about repentance in people's hearts. But God's Holy Spirit in and through John was going to begin a repentance revolution that lasts till today.

Now you see that is a reason to say nothing is impossible with God.

I won't go into Gabriel and Mary's conversation or the impossibilities associated with it but trust me when I say it leaves the whole Zechariah /John stuff in the dust for extraordinary!

Luke 1:45 NLT

You are blessed because you believed that the Lord would do what he said.”

Luke 1:77 NLT

You will tell his people how to find salvation through forgiveness of their sins.

Lord of lips.

Psalms 141:3 NLT

Take control of what I say, O Lord , and guard my lips.

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Are you always proud of what you say? Or perhaps for you I should ask, are you ashamed of what you failed to say?

God can be master of your mouth! You are free to ask God as often as need be to be the Lord of your lips. You don't have to let what you say control your life. You can give your speech to God.

Ate you willing to put your words before the throne of God? Are you willing to put your Lord in control of what you say?

You can today.

When is less more?

Proverbs 17:27-28 NLT

A truly wise person uses few words; a person with understanding is even-tempered. Even fools are thought wise when they keep silent; with their mouths shut, they seem intelligent.

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Usually I've got something to say, and then some. Some say I could talk for England.
So truly I'm at a loss for words when I read this message in the Bible. And thankfully it isn't a one off isolated message. There are a few places in God's word that warn us about our use of words.

We need to remember we're not as wise as we think we are. We don't know everything.

Words are powerful. In a world that is constantly bombarding us with words,  we need to choose ours carefully.

Lord, please be the King of my lips. Please let my words be like apples of gold in settings of silver.