“Why should our father’s name disappear from his clan because he had no son? Give us property among our father’s relatives.” Numbers 27:4 (NIV)

I pulled my hoodie over my face.

What was I hoping to discover? I asked myself as my daughter read out loud the results of another personality test.

It “revealed” all the things I’d hoped I had moved away from: a fear of being worthless, a desire to feel valuable and worthwhile. As she continued to read more attributes I wasn’t fond of, I didn’t want to face my family, thus the hoodie over my face. Disappointed it “uncovered” the things I have been working so hard to overcome, I thought, Hadn’t I made any progress?

I’m not sure why I find these tests so fascinating. They only tell me what I would already know if I just paid a little more attention to myself. There can be so many clues.

My words give me away.

When my husband comes home and asks how my day has gone, I often give a checklist of accomplishments. If my mother wants to know what’s new, I may relay my upcoming calendar.

How about you? If you carried a voice recorder all day, what would your words reveal about you?

In Numbers 27, we’re told the story of the daughters of Zelophehad, whose words definitely gave them away. These women had no father, no brothers, no husbands and no sons. During this time in history, with no men in their lives, that meant they could not own property or easily make a living.

The time had come for the Israelites to begin making plans for moving into the Promised Land. With no men to inherit land for them, the women were facing homelessness.

Yet, they still had a choice. They could listen to the voices in their culture — voices that (falsely) communicated that women were not capable or worthy. They could listen to the possible rumblings in their own heads about their value. Or they could believe for more.

In today’s key verse, the women went before Moses and the leadership and said, “Why should our father’s name disappear from his clan because he had no son? Give us property among our father’s relatives” (Numbers 27:4).

Their words don’t tell us how they felt. They may or may not have felt confident. Their words do tell us what they believed. They believed they were part of the Israelite nation, a part of God’s chosen people. They believed God’s promise of the Promised Land in Genesis 17 was for them, since they were Abraham’s descendants as well.

How about you? What are your words giving away? Do they reveal a confidence and faith in Christ … or a lack of it?

I can’t do that!
She’ll probably mess it up again.

Our words give away what fuels our heart: faith or fear. There’s not a lot we can control in this life, but we can control what is growing in our heart. We can choose.

May our words give away our confidence built on God and His Word, continually reminding us of His promises to us.

May we speak God’s words such as when God grants a new heart from Ezekiel 36:26 or as God is fulfilling the desires of my heart from Psalm 37:4.

Let’s fuel our hearts with faith instead of fear.

Father, I want my words to show my confidence is built on You. Help me fuel my heart with faith instead of fear. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

TRUTH FOR TODAY

Psalm 19:14, “May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer.” (NIV)

1 John 4:18, “There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.” (NIV)

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Lynn Cowell’s Bible study, Make Your Move: Finding Unshakable Confidence Despite Your Fears and Failures, empowers women to fuel their heart with faith instead of fear! Get your copy here.

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REFLECT AND RESPOND

Pay extra attention today to your words. What are your words giving away about you? Let us know your thoughts in our comments!

As you discover words that are loaded with fear or unbelief, take a moment to ask the Lord to forgive you and refill your heart with the words of 1 John 4:18.

© 2018 by Lynn Cowell. All rights reserved.