I love words. Throughout my whole life, my love language has been Words of Affirmation. (What's yours?) I take words literally, both for myself and others (maybe that's why I don't pick up on jokes very well haha). My favorite gift I've ever received was a treasure box my mom gave me for my 16th birthday. Inside were 2 dozen letters written to me by women, young and old, who had made an impact on my life. I still treasure those letters, today.
Words hold a lot of weight. And I've wondered if my precision of word choice comes from a long childhood stutter, or simply being a lover of words; maybe both. I think the best compliment I've ever received was being describes as authentic. I don't say what I don't mean, whether that's in-person, on the phone, or in written form (text, letters, social media etc.) and I've witnessed and experienced the power of encouraging words. Maybe that's even why The Bible says "encourage one another"(1 Thessalonians 5:11) because God knows the power and weight He created words to have.
After experiencing the negative side effects of social media first hand, about a year ago I unfollowed every famous and fitness guru in my feed (no offense to them). I didn't like the discouragement I felt after 5 minutes of scrolling, nor the invisible pull that was pulling me away from God physically and mentally.
I started following accounts like 'Proverbs31' 'Jesus Ministries' and 'Daily Encouragement' so that eventually, intermixed with the exciting news and adventures that my friends were sharing, I was also reading verses that gave me hope and genuine joy :)
Now here's the question. Do you believe God can speak through social media? I've lost track of the number of times I've opened Instagram or Pinterest and the first thing I see is, not only a Bible verse, but a verse that speaks directly to me- as in reading the exact thing I needed to be reminded of and hear.
Yes, I know, SEO is real (search engine optimization), and Google is creepy and watching you so that after looking at Old Navy's site for 5 minutes, you're conveniently given an ad an hour later on YouTube for a sale they're having. A little unsettling.
However! All throughout history, God has been speaking to His people through the medium that most resonated to them and their time. Dreams, radio, people, even bushes!! (shout out to Moses) The United States lives in a very digital age, so while the internet may 'know everything about you' it still doesn't compare to the extent God knows you. Friends, there's a lot of verses in The Bible (it's a fantastically huge book), and while the internet can gather that you like Bible verses, or even more specifically Bible verses about fear, only God can deliver the exact verse He knows His child needs.
After all, Matthew's gospel says that The Lord knows everything about you. He knows exactly what you needs even before you ask it. The internet knows you good, but not that good. While higher powers may in charge of the internet, let's not forget our God is in charge of those higher powers, and no one and nothing can or will ever surpass His power and rule.
How is the Lord speaking to you?
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