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Thursday, June 21, 2012

Use Your Words, Or HIS

{The post below was fully titled and drafted before I ever read Brooke’s post for yesterday, Shutting Up. So it seems an irony that today’s post would be called “Use Your Words, or HIS”. Interesting though that her last line reads “I'm grateful that God can shut me up when I need to be shut up, and I pray that I'll let Him make me speak when I need to speak.” I am right there with you Brooke!}

In many of the professional and parental roles that I’ve been blessed in with children the phrase “Use your words” has been an appropriate one. Of course the words I wanted them to use were ones I modeled for them, be it labels for people or things, greetings, actions, manners or requests. Some of these kids needed to start by using signs, specific movements with their hands and fingers that represented the word they were trying to express. In the beginning even an imitation of animal noises or other silly sounds was a step of progress for them. At times I would duly reward any of the attempts they used to declare or ask, even if they were incomplete or unintelligible. If I felt they could be more precise I encouraged and sometimes insisted that they do so. Ultimately when the expression was sufficient to get the desired result, we were both happy.

Imagine how God feels when we “use our words”.  When God first placed Adam with the animals, it says in Genesis 2:19 that God gave Adam free reign to name them whatever he wanted to, and that’s what they were then called. Wow! What expressive authority God issued to Adam right away.

I speculate that God is pleased when the sounds, signs and words we speak are actually what He has modeled for us. But I am certain He wants them to be meaningful to us. Some of the early imitative sounds that kids make have no meaning to them or for them. They don’t yet have an understanding, just an ability to repeat.

For example, Jesus left us a modeled prayer. We call it the Lord’s Prayer. It is a definitive example of expressing ourselves to God. But without a conscious understanding or attention to its words it would surely be nothing more than a repetitive bunch of sounds. But when declared personally, faithfully, committed and enhanced with Spirit-led inclusions of people and issues, it can be the most holy “declaration of dependence” we could ever utter.

I was moved by the incident that Ruthann described in Tuesday’s post, Walking the Tightrope in which Nik Wallenda’s prayers and praise were audible as he endured a courageous challenge. May the Lord bless him richly for lifting up the name of Jesus publicly. We can “use our words” by contacting ABC News and thanking them for including Nik’s audible prayers in the ABC reports. Just go to: http://abcnews.go.com/Site/page?id=3271346&cat=ABCNews.com%20comments

Yesterday while out for my morning prayer walk, my friend and I were in deep, though quiet, audible prayer when we came upon a house where two large chalkboards had been erected, one on the porch, and the other in the side yard. On both of these signs were words that lifted Jesus up publicly. On one was scripture. On the other was a challenge to choose Jesus on this side of the grave because it’s the only chance we get. My friend and I were very moved seeing this bold demonstration of “using their words” to proclaim Jesus publicly in their neighborhood. My friend and I were seriously humbled and spoke words of prayer and blessing over the people who lived within.

Little more than a half hour later, I unexpectedly met up with another friend and we decided to visit at an outside café nearby. By God-incidence, while we were chatting together about the Lord two women strode by and my friend called out to one of them enthusiastically by name. They greeted with a hug and my friend introduced her to me using the description, “This is the lady who puts signs out about Jesus!” I was overjoyed to meet this gutsy soul who I had just prayed for. And yet another opportunity arose for us to all speak publicly about the Lord. In the discussion that followed I recognized that the woman’s motivation for putting out her signs was compassion for the lost.

 Isn’t that just what Jesus’ Words were inspired by? His compassion.
Oh that we would continually “use our words” and HIS words to boldly proclaim Jesus and His great compassion.

Gratefully HIS,

Jan

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