“I will stand upon my watch, and set me upon the tower, and will watch to see what He will say unto me, and what I shall answer when I am reproved.” Habakkuk 2:1
When the disciples were with the Lord Jesus upon the Mount of Transfiguration, and after Christ’s meeting with Moses and Elijah, they heard a voice out of the cloud, which said, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye Him.” (Matt. 16:5) It can be said that one reason for which the Lord revealed Himself to the disciples in this manner, was to prepare them to hear the voice, and the words of the Father. That very simple message of the Father, concerning the love that He had for His Son, was coupled with the singular command: “Hear ye Him.” Why is this so very important? And does God speak to us today, “…in accents clear and still?”
The importance of the word of the Lord, as compared to the ways and thoughts of men, is greater than the distance between heaven and earth. This comparison is so very great because of the nature of the word of God, the very expression of the eternal, immutable God, who not only does wondrous things, but from whose perfect and good heart, it is spoken. Another aspect of the importance of the word of God is seen in its “cause and effect.” Christ is the originator of faith, the Redeemer and Creator. He never speaks but that there is a divine purpose behind every word. In other words, the great Cause will always have its Effect. The Lord said in Isaiah 55:11: “So shall My word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto Me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.” (55:11) An example of this is found in Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians. He wrote: “And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man’s wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power: that your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.” (2:4-5) The very evident, and promised result, of the word of God being spoken or preached in the power of the Spirit, is that the believer’s faith would rest wholly upon the power of God, and not on the flimsiness of mortal man. Another example of the powerful effect of the Lord’s word is found in Paul’s letter to the Roman believers. He wrote: “Faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God.” (10:17) When God speaks through His servants, especially concerning the preaching and teaching of the gospel, He causes faith to be born in the heart. The gift of faith is given when the word of God is received, believed, and submitted to.
But does God speak today, specifically to the heart and mind? And, how do we know that it is the Lord speaking in and through His word, the Scriptures? It was to the church of Laodicea that the Lord would say: “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If any man hear My voice, and open the door, I will come in to him and sup with him and he with Me.” (Rev. 3:20) Note that the Lord Jesus is speaking to the individual believer. Secondly, notice that he is calling the believer to hear His knock at the door. The “knock” is that specific call to hear what the Lord says. It may be a circumstance, a need, or a desire to seek the Lord. The Lord’s overall objective in it all is to get the attention of the believer, so that he will listen, and respond, to what the Lord says. If there is a response to the knock, and a willingness to give the Lord Jesus access to the heart, life, or need, then there is a remarkable and most extraordinary promised result, or effect, from Christ: “I will come in to him, and sup with Him, and He with me.”
Dear Father, Enable us to hear clearly Thy voice, and respond wholeheartedly today. In Jesus’ name, Amen.