Speak the Word!

We know what one human is capable of doing to another, as there is no shortage of evidence showing the consequences of sin. The lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh, and the pride of life are always on display in this world. At the same time, we are surrounded by love, compassion and beauty flowing out from humanity. What if God granted us the ability to see as He sees, revealing everything in the hearts of others? Could we tolerate the ugliness we would see in each heart, including our own, if God chose to reveal it to us as He sees it? Would our compassion increase or our condemnation and judgment grow towards mankind?

Our Lord is able to see everything and love fully, completely, and unreservedly. It is one of many incredible marvels of His nature. He Who is in us is able to bring that perfect, balance of love and justice. God does this. He loves while seeing everything in this “bottomless pit” of our human souls. We’re promised that our love will increase in Him as we ask to be more like Him. We wait, hoping with patience and endurance, until our redemption draws complete and it is so, on this side of heaven or on the other. God knows.

“And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.” Luke 21:28 KJV

God’s justice, His dealings with His creation, are always redemptive. Always, in all cases, circumstances and people, redemptive! God’s constant purpose and focus is ultimately to save people from further suffering and pain, to grow new life in the spirit. That is the heart of the Lord Jesus Christ.

As we walk His path for us, we ask: “How will you, Lord, work to bring Your balance of mercy and justice into our hearts, written upon us so there is no imbalance in our response to others?” We know He is able, but of course, it takes time, including ages and ages that are unfathomable in our time-limited understanding. He is able to work the completion of His perfect mercy and justice, as He spoke to the prophet Zechariah:

“And the word of the LORD came again to Zechariah: ‘This is what the LORD Almighty says: ‘Administer true justice; show mercy and compassion to one another. Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless, the alien or the poor. In your hearts do not think evil of each other.’” Zechariah 7:9 KJV

We are not to oppress others around us who are struggling to make it in this world. Note that the admonishment is to our hearts. It is certain that any evil intent in our hearts, unless dealt with by His Spirit, will be revealed in our words and behavior. He is a merciful and just God, who wants good things for us:

“Therefore the Lord longs to be gracious to you, and therefore He waits on high to have compassion on you. For the Lord is a God of justice; How blessed are all those who long for Him.” Isaiah 30:18 KJV

If you have been subject to much hellfire and brimstone teaching, you may have missed this good news! God is not looking for opportunities to chastise and condemn us. He longs to be gracious, waiting to show us the compassion we need. He sees the longing in our hearts for Him, to be like Him. He connects justice, His right judgment and compassion, His mercy, together. We hope and wait patiently, in expectation of His will to be fulfilled:

“Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope. Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness.

I say to myself, ‘The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for him.’ The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him; it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord.” 3:21-26 NIV

His compassions never fail. We are to be like Him so if our walk, our ministry to others, includes discerning what is in the hearts of others, how desperately we need more of His compassion and love! We need right judgment along with His mercy to handle everything we know with truth in love. We require it as He reveals the ugliness within ourselves, and most certainly require His compassion and mercy to minister to others, either in prayer or in person. We can be like Him in this, as in all other things.

He promises we would be like Him and see Him as He is:

“Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we will be. We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is.” 1 John 3:2 NASB

What a powerful promise yet to be fulfilled: to be complete in Him. Is not the Lord continually appearing to us, day by day, to create in us that clean, obedient heart we need? This is surely not a one-time event, accomplished when we first believe. It is a process over time. He appears daily within us, hourly, minute by minute whenever we see Him as He is, how His nature would be in circumstances, and how His spirit would lead us in all things.

Realizing that God’s justice, the judgment He brings, is always redemptive, never vindictive or self-righteous, gives us a stronger sense of our God. Here is a fuller way of seeing and understanding who He is. Many of us have longed to know how to love as He loves, without seeming to overlook the truth of His word about sin. We know and love many people whose life choices are not the same as ours. If there be any grace and mercy as we interact together, could others come to see the Truth as we see it just by being in our presence?

Love is the most powerful force in the universe! Love accomplishes the impossible! Knowing we are loved no matter what opens our ears to the truth, in a way that condemnation and judgment never does. God’s truth is good news!

“How lovely on the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, who announces peace and brings good news of happiness, who announces salvation and says to Zion, ‘Your God reigns!’” Isaiah 52:7 KJV

Good news—this is what we bring to others! We swallow up the darkness with His light. Through years of walking with the Lord, His truth is always revealed as good news. In fact it is often the only good news in our troubled world. It can be difficult to see the “goodness of God in the land of the living,” in the midst of clouds of controversy and sin! Oh, how our hearts desire to be the bearer of the good news! May we come up hither, to the high places of God, to bring good news to all.

When others really come to know our Lord in spirit and truth, they will fall in love with Him, just as we have. How may we be a more true lens through which others can see God as He is? Our Lord accomplished so much just by looking at others. His eyes of truth and love pierce through the darkest countenance, breaking down the resistance and fear this sinful life builds within each of us.

Could this become true for us, His people? Can we trust Him when He is leading us to speak His word or even just say nothing to someone about our spiritual differences? Are we able to be led by the Holy Spirit to only speak as the Father speaks, just as Jesus did?

“So Jesus said, ‘When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am he and that I do nothing on my own but speak just what the Father has taught me.” John 8:28 NIV

Can we resist the human need to throw in a slight frown, tone of voice, or clarifying statement about where they are wrong? Can we keep from showing a face of disapproval while not saying a word unless God directs? Let us truly believe the love of God, which is completely who He is and all contained within it, is the powerful change agent that can touch the other’s heart to free them from bondage. We are learning to rely on His timing, the leading by the spirit, to increase in doing all things well, just as He does.

These are things to ponder we walk along with our Lord, allowing Him to expose and change all that falls short within us. He is correcting all that is coming out in words and behaviors not led by the holy spirit, not profitable for spiritual growth in others or ourselves. Whom we truly love from our deepest hearts are those we desire to please above all things. God the Father and Jesus Christ, His Son, reward all those who come in a loving relationship with the Master of the Universe.

His plans for the world are established and the purposes of His heart of love flow out through all the generations to come:

“But the plans of the Lord stand firm forever, the purposes of his heart through all generations.” Psalms 33:11 NIV

The Lord knows whose heart is receptive and ready to hear what He might have to say. Jesus certainly did not speak directly to every sinner around Him. There’s no point in the spirit of speaking of things that will not be heard without the hearer having a teachable heart prepared to receive. How many words are wasted or hearts further hardened by human-led instruction to repent, change our ways and serve God?

We’ve likely all done this out of zeal or duty rather than by the spirit leading us to do so. We need discernment to know the time and place. Certainly, we can be ready, and prepared in our hearts to speak the truth in love when it’s time. Paul taught Timothy, instructing him how to conduct himself in what he was called to do.

“In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge:

Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction.” 2 Timothy 4:1-2 NIV

Interesting that Paul puts reproof, rebuke and encouragement all together as part of patient instruction to others. When reproof and rebuke is needed, it is a part of encouraging others in their spiritual lives through patient instruction. The purpose is always redemptive. This is speaking truth in love.

Those of us who desire to share God’s word and ways are to always be ready to do so when called upon. We are to be prepared in season, when we would anticipate having opportunity, and out-of-season when the opportunity to speak of God and His word arrives unexpectedly. Let us consider our heart condition—the readiness of the heart when we are speaking to others, both believers and non-believers.

When speaking His word of life we seek discernment about that person’s readiness of heart to hear so it will prosper. If we are led by the Lord, He will check our spirit on many occasions, showing us when ears are closed, hearts are not open to Him or ready to hear. When God speaks a Word “in due season,” we can be sure that Word does its work, throughout all generations.

His word is not only powerful, but effective—it succeeds! Those who are used to speaking this word may not witness the crop that grows, but that’s God’s business. Ours is to be obedient to speak or not to speak, to share the truth in love when the heart is open to receive. We can then trust the Lord to do His will with that word, bringing forth the crop He intends. We can learn how to speak according to the condition of the heart rather than our religious zeal to do good works for God.

God teaches us to follow Him through the promptings of the holy spirit, preparing our own hearts to do so. We are to be like Him, learning to speak as Jesus did—only what the Father instructs us to speak. We can do this naturally and effortlessly, as He did, when we are fully instructed in His ways. As God once said to me, “Don’t tell all you know.” We may have a lot to say, but unless it is led by God, it is a waste of time and breath.

Many know so very much of God and His ways that others may not be prepared yet to hear. We hold all truth in God closely, being ready to speak truth in love whenever and wherever the heart conditions are right. How is that different from preaching daily on the street corners or knocking on doors with the message of salvation? God examines the motivations of our hearts for doing these things.

When we act for God motivated by zeal, as a part of a program or duty, we risk sharing with many who are not prepared to hear it. If we are doing such things only of our own accord or at the direction of another human, it does not bring forth the fruit of the kingdom, no matter how sincerely done. It becomes a fleshly activity that can never produce the righteousness of God. Our actions and activities may be the same as we learn of the ways of the spirit, but the heart of obedience to God’s spirit leads us to assist others in ways that are productive of righteousness.

When what we do is God’s idea and not the fleshly plans of man:

"For just as rain and snow fall from heaven and do not return without watering the earth, making it bud and sprout, and providing seed to sow and food to eat, so My word that proceeds from My mouth will not return to Me empty, but it will accomplish what I please, and it will prosper where I send it.” Isaiah 55:10-11 Berean

When we are called, enabled to share the Word of God as He directs, His Word will always prosper when and where He sends it. We may plant the seed, and another reap the harvest, but He will have a crop. There are plowmen and there are reapers, both busy in the kingdom. God is always preparing the ground of our earthly hearts for the planting of His seed.

The religious world has so many programs and plans, motivated by good intentions ,to reach the world for the gospel of Christ. Though much good has occurred, these efforts have not produced fruit equal to the labor and investment. It is not what is said and done, but Whose idea it is to begin with. The power is in His word, proceeding from His mouth through those called to be His mouthpiece. Aren’t you glad it is so?

“For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.” Hebrews 4:12 NIV