God speaks (Part 4)

He who has an ear, let him hear what the spirit says to the churches. These are the words of him who is holy and true, who holds the key of David. What he opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no one can open.” (Revelation 3:6-7)

The Bible is God’s Word recorded for our benefit. Remember these words were spoken first before they were written. It is so important to know what God has been saying, that the sixty-six books of the Bible, have been put together so he could speak to us even in the 21st century. When God speaks, it is because he has something to say to his creation. There is so much hidden in his Word (The Bible) that like a hidden treasure we must seek to discover its contents, unearth its teachings in order to live by them.

Indeed, God has a word for each and everyone of us, everyday, to last a lifetime. We ought to stop, take heed, listen and guard his word in our hearts and put it to practice. That would be the time when the blessings flow. “Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by the streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers.” (Psalm 1:1-3)

The Psalmist is saying that whatever we do (where we walk, stand or sit) if we take delight in, if we love the word of God by spending time with it (meditation,) then we will be fruitful and will be prosperous in all our undertakings. This is a trustworthy prescription for success.

God spoke and the world came into being. (Genesis 1:3) God has been speaking to his creation since the beginning. When we listen, not with our ears only but with our hearts as well, a transformation takes place. More often than not, our ears want to hear what our hearts are inclined to receive. Like a sieve, we let go of the essentials and keep what is unprofitable – only to discard them later. The choice is deliberate. We sort things out mentally and rid ourselves of what we cannot confront. We dismiss what in our thinking is irrelevant or inappropriate or what we can skip with impunity. It is not our ability to understand which is at play. It is a question of what our spirit can take in – its absorptive capacity.

Jesus spoke to a man named Zacchaeus, who was in ‘a spiritual wilderness’ – nowhere near God. He had heard so much about Jesus and one day he resolved in his heart to satisfy his curiosity by going all out to catch a glimpse of him. To his utter surprise, Jesus called him by name; “Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.” (Luke 19:5) Zacchaeus gladly received him and from that day became ‘saved’ through an act of open repentance. He acknowledged being a sinner but determined in his heart to turn his back on his past life and embrace the way to eternal life through Jesus.

Peter, a veteran fisherman, returned one morning from fishing and caught nothing. He met Jesus and after the latter said to him: “Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch.” (Luke 5:4) He did, and there was so much fish the nets ‘began to break.’ Jesus prophesied over his life. “Don’t be afraid; from now on you will catch men.” (Luke 5:10) Ten days after Jesus’ resurrection, Peter on the morning of Pentecost caught 3,000 souls. Jesus spoke and it came to pass.

Whenever Jesus spoke, he spoke with authority and conviction. Not like the Pharisees and Sadducees. Where the prophets said “Thus says the Lord…” He says: “I tell you…” He told the Samaritan woman that people who drink water from the well will thirst again “…but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst.” (John 4:14) Before they parted, he revealed to her: “Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshippers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshippers the Father seeks.” (John 4:23)