Speaking to the Rocks in Our Lives

UV 1327/10,000 Speaking to the Rocks in Our Lives
The remnant of Israel shall not do iniquity, nor speak lies; neither shall a deceitful tongue be found in their mouth: for they shall feed and lie down, and none shall make them afraid
Zephaniah 3 v 13

Believers are destined not to be the majority but a remnant only. For many are called but few are chosen. We do not choose but we are chosen. Our volition is involved in our recognizing the will of God and willingly accepting it. Once we are chosen, grafted onto Israel we become c0-inheritors of the promises of God to the people of Israel. We are called to be separated from the world, distinguished more by our character than by anything else. The fear of God imposes on us a restraint and a desire not to sin wantonly or even unconsciously. When we fear God, we need not fear any man or anything on earth or in heaven. We are the sheep of His divine pasture. The Holy Spirit is the refreshing spring of water that never dries up who quenches our spiritual thirst. We will feed on the Word of God and that will give us the sense of earthly security and eternal assurance that no one can take away or affect.

God hates duplicity. He hates a deceitful tongue. Only a serpent has a forked tongue. We should not adopt the subtle or deceitful ways of the serpent and indulge in lying, flattery or mockery. Our mouths should be muzzled and our speech should pass through many filters so that it is pleasing to the Lord. The power of speech is certainly one of the greatest privileges and faculties given to man. We do not share it with any other species. The reason Moses incurred the displeasure of God in not speaking to the rock but striking it with his staff was that the Lord wanted to demonstrate the power of human speech once our hearts and minds are intimately connected with the Lord. But Moses like most human beings believed in action over words. The Lord wants us to speak to the rocks in our lives in His Name and by His power and not try to lift it or drill through it on our own feeble strength.

A rock is a symbol of something overwhelmingly heavy, something we cannot carry. It stands for the things in our lives, the intractable issues, the stubborn problems that refuse to go away. Once our speech is shorn of deceit, we have the power to speak to the rocks in our lives. As we feed on the truth of God’s Word, we will be greatly strengthened. Our lives are founded on our faith in the Rock of Ages- Jesus. We will be filled with grace even as Jesus grew full of grace and truth. The truth restricts the evil in us and around us. The grace sets us free. Our words should always reflect this fine balance of grace and truth in our lives.
Prateep V Philip