The Truth about People Who Keep Their Word

Have you found yourself wanting others to keep their word to you because it’s a quality that you hold true for yourself? I’m going to tell you about a recent God wink. (A moment where you know God is speaking to you or a moment where He shows you that he does indeed hear your prayers.)

So one thing I like to do is perform word studies. Particularly when I’m reflecting on verses or stories from the bible. A word study — for me — includes looking up different translations of the verse, along with the dictionary definition, and also finding the Hebrew + Greek definition of the text. Word studying helps me truly grasp the meaning, interpretation, and context of what is being stated.

This creates a foundation for interpretation and perspective. Reading the text in various translations drives the point home. The dictionary definition gives me a general connotation of ideas that could be associated with the word. (Because we know that biblical language and language today can have completely different meanings 🤭). And lastly, the Hebrew and Greek definitions are the closest pieces of context to the original meaning of the word during biblical times.

I have learned that I like different bible translations for different reasons and or seasons. There is something about grasping a message behind wordplay. Currently, my favorite translation is The Passion Translation because it highlights and reiterates God’s love towards us. It’s too bad the entire bible is not available in this translation! I prefer the English Standard Version for studying, and the Amplified/Message translation for storytelling or encouragement purposes. Sidebar — the Kings James Version is great for maintaining the most accurate translation of text as well, we all know about “hitherto”, “henceforth”, “thou”, and so on 😆

Now let’s get into it, recently while doing a word study on a bible verse, God highlighted some key messages within the text. I was studying the latter portion of the verse, Numbers 23:19.

The English Standard Version reads “…Has he said, and will he not do it? Or has he spoken, and will he not fulfill it?”

The NLT version reads “… Has he ever spoken and failed to act? Has he ever promised and not carried it through?”

I started off looking into the words that were really sticking out to me and these words were: “said”, “do”, “spoken”, and “fulfill”. While completing the word study using the means that I mentioned earlier, I found that “said” means to command, to think. And God reminded me how He said things while forming the earth and it was so. He said “let there be light” and then light happened. Also people and kings “said” a thing and it became so; prophecy, edicts, commands, etc. The next word “do” means to make, manufacture, reveal, make known, do good, do well, do good to, and to have. The word “spoken” indicates that things that are done are also things that are said. For instance, God spoke of cities, regions, etc for people to relocate to, He spoke that Mary would conceive a child, and He spoke to masses through leaders like Moses.

The last word “fulfill” means to rise, to come to fruition, to stand up, do, be completed, to be ready, to remain healthy, to do something wonderful, to do something too difficult for man, unusual, miraculous, to be finished, to come to an end. Now take the meanings of all the words that I’ve shared with you and let’s put this verse into context. Knowing the definition of these words, we can now read Numbers 23:19 in context as “Has he commanded and will not make, will not do good to, will not do well? Has he not done what was spoken? Has he not done something wonderful, something too difficult for man? Has he not brought to an end the thing opposite of what He’s spoke?”

When I read the context outloud to myself, God gave me the following insights:

• + The Lord doesn’t say things just to say things.

• + His words have purpose.

• + They call forth His plans.

• + They bring life.

• + They are guaranteed.

• + They are true.

• + We see that the word “spoken” literally means “to do”.

• + When the Lord says something, He makes it. He manufactures it. Like a cake, He brings that thing together.

• In this moment, I had revelation that this is why it’s so important to me to be a person who does what they say because this is a Godly attribute, a Godly quality. God says and does.

• I am made in the image of Christ so I carry Godly qualities and characteristics. This is one of them! And because we receive this level of consistency, “stick-to-itivenss”, and action with God, it is our nature to want to see this in our relationships with others.

• And this is why people who may not have faith for what you’re believing for speak against what God has spoken. Because they know their words have power. We just saw how things that are spoken are also things that are done. So speak God’s truth over your life, your situation, everything! So now I am reminding you — that YOU TOO need to know your words have power. And this is your loving and refreshing reminder to keep speaking what God has said over your life. KEEP YOUR WORD. Meaning whatever God has spoken concerning you — be it through prophecy or simply reading what the bible says about you as His beloved, his child, keep that thing! Hold on to it. Because He will do what He has spoken, what he has said. The Lord does what HE SAYS. Are you keeping what He has spoken, your word?