Saturday, October 22, 2011

TALKING WITH YOUR KNEES


October 22, 2o11
There's an old saying that says something like:
You can talk about me if you please, 
I'll talk about you when I'm on my knees.
Some things I know to be true about God is that everything our God does is by design, and relationships are dear to His heart. He's looking not for good deeds but good hearts. He is seeking for those who are seeking Him. Those who desire Him, not to receive from Him, but to give to Him, that He may give back in return--our God is all about relationship. He has been since the dawn of creation. He designed man to desire and depend upon relationships. Fellowship is a desire of His heart, and it matters to Him. It mattered enough, that He gave His only Son to come and die a sinner's death to redeem the relationship of God and man...Jesus is our mediator. Establishing Him as a Creator of plan and design and as a God of relationship, gives us insight when we look at our faces and see that He has given us two ears and one mouth. We've heard this pointed out to us, time and time again, but today the reality of this hit me in a convicting way. If I declare Him to be a God of design; yet overlook a obvious design of His upon my body, I am denying a vital lesson. He has given me more ability to listen than to talk. 
In Ecclesiastes, written by the wise King Solomon, we read,
"Do not be rash with your mouth, and let not your heart utter anything hastily before God. For God is in heaven, and you on earth; therefore let your words be few...
And a fool's voice is known by his many words" (5:2-3b).
Powerful and straight forward verses. But how often this reality slips our minds. Why? Probably because we are usually too busy thinking about our own words on a matter or our opinion, or the next thing we want to add in the midst of conversations. Funny the way it is, that the problem usually isn't that we don't think enough before opening our mouths to speak, but that we think too much--we are thinking too much about ourselves, and what we are going to say next. How often we only listen with one ear to people when they are speaking to us, because as their mouth is moving, your mind is racing with what you are going to say next. We forget that when we open our mouths, it is from the abundance of the heart we are speaking. We read that, we believe it, but than we sadly act ignorant of it, because if we applied it, we would treat that person we are speaking to differently. When in conversation with another, they are speaking from their heart. Are you listening?
Our God is so intimate with us. When we speak to Him in prayer, He listens to us. He listens to our every word, even the things we do not speak, He hears. And the astonishing part, He already knows all we are going to speak to Him about! Can we not do our part to listen to one another?
Is what I have to say so important that I would push away the expressions of someone elses' heart coming forth to my ears in words, just so i can speak more?
The words of man are fleeting, but hearts are eternal.
Our God desires to hear from His people. Throughout Scripture, verse upon verse with commands to call out to Him, to lift your voice to Him, to pray, to seek.
If He is interested in communication, in relationship, we should be too.
Today, I was made aware of how often I do not fully listen to someone else in conversation. Cutting off someone before they finish, to go on to what you wanted to share next. How selfish I am. 
I need to learn to listen with the two ears the Lord has given me, heart involved, and learn to talk with my knees. 
If only the time I spent speaking or thinking about what I am going to say next, was spent on my knees in the form of prayer to the Lord! If this was the case, this heart would be more silenced by humility, nearer to our God, and more interested in hearing the hearts of His people. Quick to hear, and slow to speak. 
My mouth has been doing far too much talking, and these knees are in need of the floor. Holy Spirit, lead this heart into your throne room, cover me in Your grace for I am in need. I desire to see You as Isaiah, high and lifted up, Your glory filling Your temple, and Your Spirit touching these lips, undoing me of myself, and filling my speech with testimony of Your great love, Your great mercy, Your great grace, Your great heart and design for Your creation. Amen.

2 comments:

  1. Wow. Thank you Michelle, I'm really glad to have read this.

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  2. Amen, and Amen!!! Good word my friend. I know the Lord is ministering this same thing to me. He is showing me I need to be quiet and not only listen to others but I need to listen more closely to Him. He is jealous for our attention and wants to give us His best but we need to be fully devoted to Him and casting our cares upon Him. What an awesome God we serve! Praying for you my friend and I pray the Lord is ministering to you in a way like never before.

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