Our family was recently blessed to take a sunset UTV tour over the petrified sand dunes and canyons in Moab, Utah. It was an incredible experience. The terrain was rough and impassable by any vehicle except the tough 4x4s we were driving. The landscape was other-wordly, a perfect inspiration for a desert planet in a sci-fi novel. My heart was thrilled to see the vividness of God’s creativity on display. We rumbled up and down cliff faces and sped through the twists and turns of sandy pathways. I wanted to tell Him just how beautiful it all was, just how powerful He is as evidenced in the scenery around us. But words failed me, because nothing I could say would truly be sufficient. But then, why use my own words? Instead, I recited Job 38 in my mind and answered each verse in submissive praise.
“Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? Tell Me, if you have understanding. Who determined its measurements? Surely you know! Or who stretched the line upon it? To what were its foundations fastened? Or who laid its cornerstone, when the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy?” Job 38:4-7
My heart responded, “You. You, Lord, laid the foundations of the earth. We were not there to see it, but we praise You now to behold Your work. You stretched the line upon it, You laid its cornerstone.”
With each verse and my heart’s response, my praise grew. Instead of having nothing good enough to say to my Lord, I had plenty of words to praise Him.
Just how often do our own words fail? We feel compelled to say something, but the words don’t come, or they don’t seem good enough for the moment? This happens to me quite often, an admission that may come as a surprise to those who know me since I am known for being quite the talkative person. But it’s true that sometimes my friend’s pain seems too much for me to speak encouragement. Sometimes, my heart is so confused I don’t know how to start a prayer. Sometimes, I’m simply so filled with joy for what God has done that no praise seems great enough to voice, just like my experience on the UTV tour. It’s in times like these that I am so thankful for memorized Scriptures. My words may fail, but God’s Words never do.
I have no idea how many times I have prayed the words of Psalm 139 to worship the Lord, submit to Him, or receive His comfort in the midst of fear or pain. I’ve also shared the precious words of this Psalm and others to give comfort to friends and family. I’ve been blessed to share the gospel many times, and always, the actual words of Scripture have the most power in the conversation.
Why is it that God’s Word is better than mine? He explains it Himself: “For the Word of God is living and powerful and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart,” (Hebrews 4:12). His Word is alive and reaches us in our innermost being. My words can sometimes touch the heart, but His Words can reach the soul.
One of the key things to remember as we look to God’s Word when our own words fail is that the Holy Spirit is meant to guide us with His Word. Jesus said that this is the very purpose for which the Holy Spirit comes: “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you” (John 14:26 ESV). The Bible itself is called “the sword of the Spirit” in Ephesians 6:17. We need to seek the Holy Spirit’s leading and be sensitive to His prompting in order for His Words to take the place of our own.
It can be easy to start grasping our memorized Scriptures and swing the Sword in someone else’s life, battering them with the truth of God and insisting that we are helping them by doing so. This act can cause unintended harm. If we are not sure of what to say, we are wise to ask the Holy Spirit to bring to mind the right Scriptures for the moment. He can help us listen, He can help us speak, and He can help us avoid ripping verses out of context.
Truly, God’s Word is living and powerful as well as beautiful. There is a passage and verse for every kind of human experience. When we hide His Word away in our hearts, we can experience the joy of speaking His Words in place of our own in the moments when our words fail.
