What's the first thing that would come into your mind if I told you I'm the kind of person that likes to talk to myself? Most of you would probably think I'm crazy or even cheesy—but it's the truth. And if you understand why I do it, you'd probably do the same as well.
Words are powerful, although we'd like to think otherwise. But we can't deny that words can make or break us. Negative words hurt us even when we don't want it to while positive uplifting words build us up. Proverbs 18:21 says, "Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruits."
There can repeatedly be times when we become recipient of more negative words and thoughts than positive ones. When circumstances get tough, when challenges come, when stress at your job is getting to you, when relationships don't seem to be working out, we start hearing voices that speak lies into us.
Negative thoughts can come from different sources and different directions. They can come from Satan himself, from other people—sometimes even from yourself. In those moments, lies need to be countered with the truth of God. And in those times when no one seems to speak it to us or not enough people do, we can take the chance to declare God's Word to ourselves.
One person in the Bible who seemed to have a knack for talking to himself was Nehemiah. In Lamentations 3:24, he said, "I say to myself, 'The LORD is my portion; therefore I will wait for him.'"
At this time, there was little to no hope in Nehemiah's heart. His nation had been desecrated and his people either massacred or imprisoned. The rest of Lamentations talked about the despair that had befallen Israel—streets in rubbles, homes burnt and pillaged, and even mothers eating their own children.
But amid the despair when nothing positive was being spoken, Nehemiah took the chance to speak and declare to himself the truth: "God is my portion."
To call God our portion is like calling Him our prize, our promise, our victory that is to come. That's what Nehemiah declared to himself and so boldly spoke.
What despair do you face today? Have people around stopped speaking life and holy declarations? You can start declaring God's goodness and faithfulness on your own today. You don't need a chorus to declare the praises of God. Your voice alone, accompanied by the power of Jesus' name through the Holy Spirit, can bring life and hope to the darkness that you might be facing today.
God is faithful and God is able. You just have to speak to yourself about it and be reminded as we wait for God to come through.
