To Speak Or Not To Speak

“Must I not take care to speak what the Lord puts in my mouth?” Numbers 23:12 ESV

King Balak had summoned Balaam to pronounce a curse against the approaching armies of Israel. Though hired to speak defeat and evil against them, God foiled Balak’s plan. As the Spirit of God came upon him (24:2), the oracles uttered forth from Balaam’s mouth were blessings instead of curses. When confronted by King Balak, Balaam replied, “What the Lord speaks, that will I speak” (vs.13).

As writers, leaders, teachers, and preachers, it is vital that the words that come forth from us (whether written or spoken) be from the Lord. There are myriads of preachers who proclaim a gospel that is contrary to God’s Word. Paul reiterates this in Galatians 1:6-12, warning believers against false prophets and teachers. This issue is so important to me each time I write. God forbid I should write/teach anything contrary to His Word!

As listeners of His Word, it is also crucial that we ask the Spirit of God to fill us with discernment. Does the gospel preached from the pulpit align with the gospel of Jesus Christ? Is the content of a devotional, or what we are taught in small groups or Sunday School, supported by more than just a single verse? 1 John 4:1 cautions, “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world.”

One day, we will be called to give an account of every careless word we speak (Matthew 12:36-37). So let us be diligent in speaking what the Lord puts in our mouths and not uttering what the Lord has not put in our mouths. May all that we say and do be pleasing in His sight.

Prayer: May your Word and your Spirit, O Lord, always be the filter through which I speak and listen. Place a guard over my mouth so that the words that spill forth be edifying and doctrinally sound. In your name I pray, Amen.

Thought: “When we think we have power in our words alone, they will fall flat. If God’s power is in us and speaks through us, however, the words we speak will never fail.” – Tim Tebow