Limiting God By Words

We are to guard and keep our mouths from speaking evil and to speak only words that edify and bless others. To walk in the power and victory God has planned for you, you must determine in your heart that through the power of the Holy Spirit you will restrain your mouth from sins of the tongue — gossiping, slandering, backbiting, criticizing, lying, deceiving, flattering, and every form of evil speaking. Numbers 14:26-35

The children of Israel forfeited God’s promises and blessings through sins of their tongue. At Kadesh Barnea, on the border of the Promised Land, they began to speak words of doubt and unbelief and began to murmur and complain against Moses and Aaron. When they heard the negative, evil report of the ten spies concerning the giants in the land and the great walled cities, they believed their report and rejected God’s promises.

Look carefully at the words they spoke: “We are not able to go up against the people (of Canaan); for they are stronger than we are” (Numbers 13:31, TAB). Regardless of the promises God had given them and the mighty miracles He had performed in delivering them out of Egypt, they said, “We can’t do it!” They limited what God had promised by the words coming out of their mouths.

They began to murmur and complain:

And all the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron; and the whole congregation said unto them, Would God that we had died in the land of Egypt! Or would God we had died in this wilderness! (Numbers 14:2)

The negative words of fear, doubt, and unbelief that the ten spies spoke brought cursing and death. Their negative words were like deadly cancer spreading through the people until the entire congregation of approximately two million were contaminated.

God heard the murmuring and complaining of the people and was ready to destroy the entire congregation, but Moses interceded on their behalf and their lives were spared. As punishment for their murmuring and complaining, none of them were allowed to enter and take possession of the land God had promised them. The land and all the promises of God were legally theirs, but they forfeited them because of the words coming out of their mouths. They limited God by their own words.

Beloved, are you limiting what God has promised to do for you by the words coming out of your mouth?