“It is I; be not afraid.”
“I will; be thou clean.”
“I am he.” *
When Jesus spoke, He did so with AUTHORITY and GRACE—and often His words were few. Now, as we allow Him to speak through US, we may find that He inspires us to use fewer words, rather than more—fewer than if it were just US talking. It may be that the less we talk, the more HE says.
“Take no thought how or what ye shall speak: for it shall be given you in that same hour what ye shall speak. For it is not ye that speak, but the Spirit of your Father (the HOLY GHOST) which speaketh in you.” (Matthew 10:19-20 KJV)
For example, occasionally AFTER a personal encounter with an unbeliever, we feel a sense of guilt. We grieve over what we think “we should’ve said”—that we may have missed an opportunity to say just the right words to allow God to speak in the situation.
But, consider this: God doesn’t NEED our words to communicate. He speaks to hearts all the time—silently—not only when they belong to Him, but simply because He knows they’re looking for Him. He can speak to hearts we can’t reach, in ways we can’t imagine, with words we don’t know. Jesus—the Light of the World—appears to unbelievers around the globe everyday, in visions and dreams, speaking to people who’ve never listened to a preacher or even heard of the name of JESUS. He doesn’t really need OUR words.
Here’s the thing: if we dwell in, submit to, and trust the presence of the Holy Spirit, we possess a kind of shared agreement, understanding, and confidence with Jesus. Paul said it this way: “Let this MIND be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 2:5 KJV) The key is our sensitivity to the VOICE of GOD, not our confidence in our own vocabulary. God can—and will—give us the words to say in any circumstance, if we prayerfully put our TRUST in the HOLY GHOST. Indeed, THIS is the very essence of the Holy Ghost.
For example, if we ARE actively trusting God for guidance, and He doesn’t prompt us to speak in a situation (i.e. to interject our own spiritual wisdom), then we can rely on the fact that it wasn’t the right time. We need not blame our own lack of spiritual acuity. God is in control, He KNOWS the thoughts, intents, and readiness of every heart. If the Holy Ghost prompts us to speak, then speak—and if He doesn’t, don’t. ALL the GLORY is HIS alone.
Diving deeper: There is a curious word that comes close to describing this type of shared confidence—it is the word “mamihlapinatapai.” It’s derived from the Yaghan language and, oddly enough, is listed in The Guinness Book of World Records as the “most succinct word.” Though difficult to translate (and pronounce!) the word, in essence, refers to “a look shared by two people, when each knows the other understands and is in silent agreement with what is being expressed.”
Similarly, when we are in agreement with the Holy Spirit—perhaps in a kind of mamihlapinatapai—we don’t have to do all the talking. We can reliably agree with the Holy Spirit that—sometimes—He will continue to speak to a person’s heart in our silence.
If we have the Holy Ghost, we can TRUST the HOLY GHOST. We can ask the LORD Himself, through His Spirit, to give us the words He wants us to say … or not to say … at the right moment. He will. Sometimes the Lord will prompt us with silence so that HE can speak to a heart in a way that ONLY HE can speak. Either way, He gets the GLORY—not us.
Prayer: Dear Lord God, who spoke worlds into existence with a simple command—who so loves each and every soul—help me remember the admonition of the Preacher: “God is in heaven and you are on earth, so let your words be few.” (Ecclesiastes 5:2b NIV)
(Part 2)
*References: Matthew 14:27; Matthew 8:3; John 18:5
