Feb. 14, 2004

[Kidan]

Quote[/b] ]Whatever I tell you in the dark, speak in the light; and what you hear in the ear, preach on the housetops
—Matthew 10:27

Quote[/b] ]Sometimes God puts us through the experience and discipline of darkness to teach us to hear and obey Him. Song birds are taught to sing in the dark, and God puts us into "the shadow of His hand" until we learn to hear Him ( Isaiah 49:2 ). "Whatever I tell you in the dark. . ."—pay attention when God puts you into darkness, and keep your mouth closed while you are there. Are you in the dark right now in your circumstances, or in your life with God? If so, then remain quiet. If you open your mouth in the dark, you will speak while in the wrong mood—darkness is the time to listen. Don’t talk to other people about it; don’t read books to find out the reason for the darkness; just listen and obey. If you talk to other people, you cannot hear what God is saying. When you are in the dark, listen, and God will give you a very precious message for someone else once you are back in the light.

After every time of darkness, we should experience a mixture of delight and humiliation. If there is only delight, I question whether we have really heard God at all. We should experience delight for having heard God speak, but mostly humiliation for having taken so long to hear Him! Then we will exclaim, "How slow I have been to listen and understand what God has been telling me!" And yet God has been saying it for days and even weeks. But once you hear Him, He gives you the gift of humiliation, which brings a softness of heart—a gift that will always cause you to listen to God now.

 

[Kidan]

Verse in context...

Quote[/b] ]The disciple is not above his master, nor the servant above his lord. It is enough for the disciple that he be as his master, and the servant as his lord. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more shall they call them of his household? Fear them not therefore: for there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; and hid, that shall not be known. What I tell you in darkness, that speak ye in light: and what ye hear in the ear, that preach ye upon the housetops. And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows.

--Matthew 10 24-31

For me, I have trouble relating these scriptures to today's devotion. Rather I've always seen these scriptures as an attack against murmurings and gossip. We are told that we should tell what we are told in secret in the light. I.E. we should NOT trade in gossip.

We are told that what is whispered inour ear, we should proclaim from the rooftop! I.E. we should NOT trade in gossip.

Just remember the next time gossip comes your way, that all things hidden will be revealed in time, and when you speak bad things about a person, you are hurting God, for He holds us all in great value.