Speak
When He Says, “Speak”
By Susan Klein
“Say to them, ‘This
is what the Sovereign Lord says.’”
Ezekiel 2:4b
Recently,
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?
FURTHER
READING
Proverbs
16:20-23, 18:13; Ecclesiastes 3:7b
Susan
is We Women's Tuesday Morning Bible Study Coordinator and one of its teachers.
She and her husband Mark lead a couples' small group in their home; she is also
involved in inner city outreach.
