The Word of God can be heard in everyday life.
It can be casually stated. Flowing out of the mouths of everyday people, as if conversation itself was carefully created. Take Psalm 46:10 for instance. The poetry of this verse is heard through the shouted command of every strong mother. As she styles the tangled hair of her tender-headed child squirming between her legs, she shouts “Be still! I’m almost done!” Or at every family reunion. Spoken towards the tiny tot legs carrying each carefree baby boy, not quite able to see the slight trouble he’s causing, saying “Come here! Be still for a minute boy!” Sometimes, the words of that verse can be abused. Used for the wrong reasons, like wrongfully teasing with the lives of precious grown-babies, tired of feeling their eyes opening wide at the cry of “Freeze! Hands where I can see them!” Only quick sighs break that stillness.
Whether read, heard or spoken, it was never just words that produced change. It’s the actions that follow them. It’s the actions that truly speak louder than words can. So, how many of us are truly talking? We are made to follow a God that is the Word. Bringing things into being by speaking, He did the Good News that we read in the Word. The Bible simply bears witness to the works of God. Works that bear fruit of love. Love that spoke for itself. Love that can still speak today. Again, how many of us are truly talking? Do your shoulders speak to the weary, wet eyes in need of a resting place? Those are like comforting lullabies. Or do your hands speak to the tired fingers of a working mother stirring the pot, pleading to take her spot? I promise you, that says a lot. Or what about the sounds that bounce off of ceilings? Laughter that brings healing to hearts that stop feeling. Breaking away the stone that keeps them from beating. Words are meant to mimic the rhythm of motion. Motion that moves restless minds into the stillness of knowing a peaceful God.
Podiums and posts that preach a powerful message are nice. Valid even. But, true change pushes past that point. We must start pushing ourselves past the point of just reading the Word. Past the point of just evangelizing to people we’ll never see again. No matter if it’s three or ten, there are neighbors in your own neighborhood that can reach the point of being friends. Past the point of just feeding the mouths of ones we’ll never know. Being homeless can also show through forgetting to nurture the ones in your home. Past the point of boundaries we’ve put up in our own hearts to keep God from truly seeing every piece of us. Release the stuff that’s keeping us from seeing our desperate need for Jesus.
We must not let the things that we hear move us to fear. Let our actions bring the stillness that comes from knowing a true God. In times like these, you must ask yourself, “Are you just a hearer of the Word or a doer?”
The Word of God can be heard in everyday life. Let Him be exalted in the earth. Selah.