When Your Words Keep Traveling
On Second Thought
Scientists tell us that the sound waves created by our voices never really disappear. Once released, they ripple outward into the atmosphere, escaping beyond our planet and continuing their journey across the cosmos. If we possessed instruments sensitive enough—and could stand on a distant world centuries from now—we might recover the very vibrations of a sentence we whispered today. It is a remarkable thought: nothing spoken is ever completely gone. It continues. It travels. It exists far beyond our reach.
During this Advent season, when the Church gives special attention to the God who spoke light into darkness and spoke salvation into the world through His Son, the idea of enduring words feels especially fitting. We are surrounded by voices—words spoken, sung, posted, shouted, whispered. And in our own quieter moments, we realize that our words leave deeper marks than soundwaves alone. They leave memories. They leave blessings. They leave wounds. They shape our souls and the souls of others.
In the scientific description, sound is defined as a mechanical wave—a pulse of energy traveling through air, water, or solid matter. It must have enough volume to be detected by our ears, which are remarkably precise instruments. Studies show that our ears process language faster than our eyes. Speech reaches the brain and is understood in just140 milliseconds, while printed words take nearly 40 milliseconds longer to decode. It is a reminder that God designed the human mind to be especially receptive to the spoken word.
Perhaps that helps explain why Scripture says, “Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ” (Romans 10:17). Sound—spoken truth—has a unique way of entering us. It bypasses defenses we don’t even know we have. It reaches us quickly, personally, and deeply. The spoken word has always been a divine instrument.
Which brings us to Haggai, one of the shortest books of the Old Testament, yet one of the most urgent. Written after the Jewish people returned from Babylonian exile, Haggai is a prophet sent with a simple, uncompromising message: it is time to rebuild the temple. For years the people had delayed. They had become preoccupied with their own homes, their own needs, their own comfort. Meanwhile, the house of the Lord lay in ruins.
But what stands out most in Haggai is not merely the call to rebuild—it is the repeated authority behind the call. Twenty-five times in two chapters, the prophet declares, “Thus says the Lord.” Haggai wants there to be no misunderstanding: these are not his ideas, his opinions, or his personal preferences. These are the words of God echoing through a weary, distracted people.
There is something humbling about that. Something clarifying. Something Advent-like. Because Advent reminds us once again that God has spoken—not only through prophets but through His Son. And His word still echoes.
The question pressing before us becomes unavoidable: Do you speak God’s words? Not in the sense of presuming prophetic authority, but in the sense of letting your voice bear truth, kindness, holiness, and blessing. Do your words reflect the heart of God, or are they merely soundwaves—aimless, careless, or destructive?
If the scientific assumption is correct—that our spoken words never truly vanish—then imagine what eternity will reveal. Imagine hearing again the words of encouragement you offered at just the right time. The prayer whispered on a difficult night. The gentle correction to someone wandering. The forgiveness spoken when your heart felt fragile. Imagine those words continuing their journey long after you have forgotten them.
Now imagine the opposite. The sharp reply. The careless sarcasm. The angry rant. The words spoken not from the Spirit but from the flesh. If these too continue their journey, then our responsibility becomes sobering. Every word we speak shapes the world around us and the world within us. Jesus Himself said, “For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks” (Matthew 12:34). Our words reveal who we are becoming.
But here is the hope: by God’s grace, our words can become instruments of renewal. Haggai’s message stirred an entire nation into obedience. He simply spoke the word of the Lord with clarity and conviction, and the people responded. They returned to the work God had given them. They rebuilt what had been neglected. They re-centered their lives around the presence of God.
Is that not what we long for today? To have voices that call people back to the things of God? To speak encouragement that lifts weary hearts? To speak truth that cuts through confusion? To speak blessing that heals? To speak faith in a world filled with fear?
During Advent, we remember that the Word became flesh. That the eternal, living Word spoke Himself into our world—not as soundwaves, but as a Savior. When Christ spoke, storms stopped, demons fled, sinners wept, and the dead rose. His words did not merely travel; they transformed.
And now He invites us to speak in His name. Not with His authority, but with His character. Not claiming inspiration but seeking alignment. Not speaking to impress, but to bless. Our words—shaped by Scripture, softened by grace, and strengthened by the Spirit—can carry the fragrance of Christ into homes, workplaces, churches, and quiet conversations.
In an age of constant noise, a Christ-shaped voice becomes a sacred gift.
On Second Thought
Maybe the most important question today is not, “Do my words last?” but rather, “Do my words matter in the way God desires?” Soundwaves may travel endlessly, but the spiritual weight of our words travels even further. They echo not simply through space but through souls. Perhaps the real miracle is not that our voices can be recovered centuries later, but that God can use a single sentence today—a gentle word, a truth spoken in love, a quiet prayer—to rebuild a life just as He rebuilt the temple through Haggai. On second thought, your words may shape eternity more than you realize.
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