Proverbs 18:21 (TPT) –  Your words are so powerful that they will kill or give life, and the talkative person will reap the consequences. 

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Back in the beginning of December 2023, a friend sent me a gift card from a popular chain store for $200 for Christmas. To say it knocked me for a loop is an understatement.  I really needed that money.

In the middle of December I went ahead and renewed my old Norton 360 with the card for $50. I purchased some groceries from Amazon. They don’t charge your card until they get ready to ship.

Three days later I got a notification from Amazon that my (gift) card was rejected. I went to check it and I had a zero balance, the $150 had been stolen, The card number had been used by someone to purchase things I didn’t.

First I prayed and asked God to get me that money back. I knew nothing was impossible for God no matter what people say.

I notified the card holder that I did not make those purchases. I also found out through a Google search that those cards are facing a lawsuit.

Apparently unscrupulous people could scan the barcode from the card and put it back. When someone buys the card and uses it, then the unscrupulous people will steal the money off of it.

So, of course, the pressure was on to believe what I read on Google about the impossibility of getting my money back. I wanted to tell everyone what had happened.

God immediately said, “Shut your mouth and don’t say a word and don’t tell anybody (except Josh)”.  Josh, my son, is my prayer partner because he really believes God for the impossible and he’s a strong believer about the words of our mouth.

The notification I received after my claim back in December said it could take up to three months before I heard anything. Honestly? That is the hardest thing I’ve ever done in my life, keeping my mouth shut for three months about this money and card.

Now I know why God shut Zechariah’s mouth (Luke1)!  Zechariah had to be quiet for 9 months because he didn’t believe! God had to shut that mouth of doubt because those words would stop what God was doing.

I finally got an email last week that said they approved my claim and they were issuing me a new card with the remaining funds stolen from my former card ($150). 

On Wednesday of this week, my new card (a debit card) was in the mail. I am grateful to the gift card company for being honorable and helping me recover the stolen money – but more importantly, I am grateful God helped me keep my mouth SHUT the whole 3 months.

That’s why it is important to only speak life, only speak what you want and NOT what you don’t want, and only speak God’s Word.   

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