Speak When He Says, “Speak”
By
Susan Klein
“Say
to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says.’”
Ezekiel
2:4b (NIV)
Two years ago, my
family and I were enjoying a restful Sunday afternoon at the beach. The weather
was balmy, the water refreshing, and the pleasure of each other’s company made
for a delightful afternoon. Our tranquility was abruptly interrupted as a group
of people parked themselves within feet of our cozy little assemblage. Loud
profanity began to pour out, polluting everything in its path. Many glances in
their direction showed disapproval from a number of other beachgoers, yet no
one ventured over to stop the cacophony of this intoxicated brood.
Heart pounding, my
“flesh” wanted to give them a piece of my mind for ruining what had been a
wonderful day for many people in the vicinity. I eventually asked God to show
me a loving approach, but the right words wouldn’t make themselves known.
Reading my pained expression, my son told me not to bother - - it would have no
impact on this particular bunch. Agreeing with him, my husband suggested we
pack up and head home.
As I recounted this
story with some sisters-in-Christ, we all agreed that if the Lord had wanted me
to speak, He’d have given me the right words. Approaching intoxicated
people with wisdom would have been rather pointless and not reaped a positive
outcome. Jesus suggests a similar thing in Matthew 7:6, as He uses a graphic
metaphor to instruct His disciples to not try to correct those unwilling to
receive correction nor offer wisdom to those unwilling to receive it, “Do not
give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may
trample them under their feet and then turn and tear you to pieces.”
In some situations, I
believe the Lord would have us remain silent. That said, when the Holy
Spirit does prompt us
to speak, we are to heed His calling. When He spoke to the Prophet Ezekiel, he
warned him that the people of Israel would be rebellious, and maybe not even
listen to him, but he was to speak God’s words to them regardless (Ezekiel
2:5). God had a definite message to be delivered to the people through Ezekiel
and made it known. When we are in a questionable situation, we need to inquire
of the Lord. If we act on our own, we may end up making an already bad
situation even worse. Conversely, if we don’t act at all, we may be in the
wrong (James 4:17).
If asked, God will
always direct us appropriately for the circumstance. The key is to listen, and
only speak when He says, “Speak.”
GOING DEEPER:
1. How do you currently
determine when to speak and when not to?
2. Do you rely more on your gut instinct or the Holy Spirit for guidance?
2. Do you rely more on your gut instinct or the Holy Spirit for guidance?
FURTHER READING:
Susan
is married to Mark, and has two adult children. She enjoys teaching Bible
studies, writing, tutoring with the Literacy Council and working with Oakwood’s
peacemaking ministry.
